Murphy's LAW
by jessegdixon
Summary: Follow Harper Murphy a young woman thrown into the midst of The Walking Dead universe and Rick's group as she struggles to find her place and survive. Oddly enough her place might be by the side of the youngest Dixon brother, her herself not knowing why.
1. Chapter 1: The Calm Before The Storm

_**WELL HERE WE ARE PEOPLE… THIS IS MY FIRST FANFIC SO BARE WITH ME, BUT I DON'T FORSEE IT AS BEING A SHITSTORM. PARDON MY LANGUAGE, BUT YOU'RE THE ONES READING A WALKING DEAD FANFIC YOU GOTTA EXPECT SOME LANGUAGE AND VIOLENCE. THIS STORY STARTS IN THE 2**__**ND**__** EPISODE OF SEASON 1 WITH OUR HEROIN HARPER MURPHY, GETTING STUCK IN ATLANTA ON A SUPPLY RUN BY SOME ASSHOLES THAT MAY SEEM FAMILIAR TO YOU ALL. SO CUTTING THIS SHORT, ENJOY AND I WILL LET YOU GET TO THE STORY.**_

_**LOVE,**_

_**J**_

**SEASON 1 EPISODE 2: GUTS**

**CHAPTER 1: The Calm Before the Storm**

**-**-There are some things you learn best in calm, and some in storm.

~Willa Cather

"THUD!" The sound of a mannequin in the abandoned apartment store falling over gave away the walking corpse's surprise attack on Harper as she entered the building. With one swift swing of her Louisville slugger the corpse fell to the tiled ground of the store. Harper checked its body seeing if anything it had would come in handy. She could luck out and find lighter, matches, and if the corpse was one of those tough guys maybe even a pocket knife on its lifeless body. But to her avail no luck. His pockets were empty but the boots on his feet looked promising as Harper stared at her blood stained converse with a large rip on the side.

Harper looked around the store seeing no signs of life or the walking dead. She sat down next to the decaying corpse took off her worn out converse and massaged her calloused feet and began unlacing the leather boots to remove them. Once off the dead man's feet Harper smelled the stench off the boots hesitant to put them on. She pulled her pack off her back and looked through not finding any extra socks, so she began to check around the store.

Harper was desperate enough to where a pair of dead man's work boots but wasn't about to wear them without having a few layers of protection between her aching feet and the stench and gore coming from the boots. Walking around the store with her slugger at hand she began too notice women's clothes. She looked up to the ceiling. "Thank the lord! I might actually get to wear proper women's clothes this week!"

Since the outbreak had started she had been living off the clothes she had on at the time of her retreat and a bag large men's flannel shirts and jeans that she had found in the cab of a semi truck on the road. She began to strip off the baggy trucker clothing while eyeing a rack of women's jeans and tank tops. She smiled at this small luxury she just received.

After putting on a black loose tank top and dark jeans she found other racks of clothes. She rid her pack of the immensely large trucker clothing and replaced it with comfortable more feminine clothing. Feeling better about herself and free of the sweaty gore covered men's flannel, she continued her search for socks. Going past the jewelry counter in the middle of the store she found the men's section. Looking for thicker socks instead of the dainty and colorful women socks at the other end of the store she just came from. She found a bin of grey, black, and white socks for men and took a few pairs of the white not wanting the heat from Atlanta's hot rays that the black and grey socks would attract.

She again took her spot sitting next to the corpse and put on a pair of the socks she found. She put on the reeking boots lacing them tightly tucking in the laces in the sides of the boots so they wouldn't snag on anything if she had to run and trip her. She got up feeling satisfied but at the same time not. Her skin felt too bare with only a tank top on. That could be a hazard if lustful decayed hands decided the would try and make a dinner out of her arm. She went back to the women's side of the store to find a jacket of some sort. She found a dark brown comfortable leather one. Although she assumed it wasn't real leather and the jacket was probably just made for looks not undead attacks, but it was better than the no protection that the tank top would provide.

Putting it on Harper got an uneasy feeling of eyes watching her and realized she had left her pack, faithful slugger, and her daddy's 45. ,that she only used on close encounters not wanting to draw sound, by the body of the bloody corpse where she first came in. She quickly turned around to go to them, but her natural instincts and spidey sense's, were as usual correct, as she stared down the barrel of a rifle held by a scruffy redneck in an old biker vest.

"Don't move honey bunches!" The man said with a satisfied look on his face. Harper looked into his cold blue eyes and knew he was not one to be messed with. All of a sudden a small group of others popped in through a door through the back of the shop. "Dixon! What the hell man!" A Hispanic man with curly hair directed at the hot headed redneck that was glaring at Harper. "Found us a stray!" The redneck turned around to the Hispanic man still having the rifle pointed on Harper. Harper saw this as her chance. She quickly snatched the rifle away from the man taking him in surprise and aiming it now at his head.

"Whoa whoa, just stop we don't want any trouble!" The Hispanic man raised his hands to Harper as she rested the tip of the rifle to the redneck's forehead. The small group that followed the Hispanic man in consisted of a short haired black woman, a big sized black man, a young Asian guy, and a blonde haired woman that slowly rested her revolver on the dirty tiled floor of the store. They all put their hands up terrified except for the man she was pointing the rifle at. He had a small smirk on his face. "Looks like this little girl here's got sum' brass balls… I'd say!"

"Shut up Dixon!" The blonde woman called out. "Look just put the gun down and we can all forget about this and be on our way." The Hispanic man reasoned. "Who are you people?!" Harper asked past the guy they kept calling Dixon. "Look we don't want any trouble." The Asian guy spoke up. "I asked a question! Answer!" Harper shouted back making him jump a little. The black woman rubbed his back. "It's ok Glenn honey…" She said reassuring the scared Asian. "We have a camp outside Atlanta, we're only making a supply run, and we just want to make it back safe to our people please." The Hispanic man spoke up again begging her. "Give me one reason I shouldn't shoot your friend here and the rest of you! Right now!" Harper asked shouting knowing in her mind in reality that trigger would probably not get pulled. At least she hoped.

The redneck began to laugh. "Go on hun! Let's see how big those brass balls are!" The group panicked not knowing what to think. "Merle man! Come on!" The Hispanic man called out to the man with the rifle to his head. "Look don't listen to him!" The blonde woman spoke to Harper. "You want a reason not to kill us? Here's one… we have people, family and they're alive waiting for us. That should be good enough."

Harper not totally believing her still pressed the barrel to the man's head. The blonde woman sensed it in Harper's icy light blue eyes. "Look I have a little sister, Dixon here has a little brother." The woman directed towards the man Harper had her aim on. Than she looked to the frightened Hispanic man. "And Morales he has a two small children Eliza and Louis and a wife Miranda. And they're alive waiting for us to bring back supplies to them." The words children echoed through Harper's mind as she lowered the rifle handing it back to Merle Dixon.

"Kids?" She asked faintly to them as Morales nodded his head in relief as the rifle returned to Merle. "My turn!" Merle responded aiming the rifle at her head. "Who the hell are you?!" Merle shouted spitting a bit in her face. "I am Harper Murphy, I have no family. Alive for that matter. You're lucky Dixon and I know you're not gonna pull that trigger so you might as well get that rifle outta my face." She told him with a bit of anger flushing through her eyes at him. "Says who?" Merle asked.

"Says the undead legion walking the streets of Atlanta. You wanna pull the trigger, ring their dinner bell, be my guess… I'll have the quick way out and you and your friends here can become a happy meal. So if you don't excuse me." Harper said moving past him shoving the barrel of the rifle to his chest everyone knowing she was right. She walked to the dead body where she left her stuff and packed it all up. Once she was situated she looked at the diverse group of people. "So you gonna tell me the rest of y'all's names?" She got out before she heard a gun shot echo through her mind and the streets of Atlanta, Georgia.

TO BE CONTINUED:

_**NEXT CHAPTER OFFICER FRIENDLY COMES TO TOWN**_


	2. Chapter 2: The Storm Upon Us

_**OKAY THE 1**__**ST**__** CHAPTER WAS SHORT AND SLOW, BUT PLEASE CONTINUE BECAUSE IT'S GONNA GET FASTER AND LONGER AND HOPEFULLY MORE INTERESTING… THE FIRST CHAPTER WAS JUST TO ESTABLISH THE CHARATERS AND THE SITUATION HARPER'S IN. IF YOU PAYED ATTENTION THE SMALL GROUP WAS ANDREA, T-DOG, JACQUI, GLENN, MORALES, AND MERLE DIXON THE GROUP THAT GET'S STUCK IN ATLANTA WITH RICK… IF YOU'RE SMART AND SUCH YOU MIGHT ALREADY KNOW WHERE THE GUNSHOTS ARE COMING FROM "WINK WINK" I PROMISE IT WILL GET BETTER. REVIEWS WOULD BE APPRECIATED SO I KNOW HOW I AM DOING.**_

_**LOVE,**_

_**J**_

**SEASON 1 EPISODE 2: GUTS**

**CHAPTER 2: The Storm Upon Us**

"Way to go dumbass!" Harper spun around screaming at Merle assuming the shot came from him. "Hold on to your panties now… if it were me you either would be dead as that walker laying on the ground over there or you would have no eardrums left! It came fro—"Merle was than interrupted by Glenn. "Outside." Glenn and the small group stood in awe and horror at the glass doors of the store in disbelief as hundreds of walkers started to flood the streets.

"So about that happy meal." Harper continued to say.

"We need to do something! Quick!" The blonde haired woman said staring in horror outside. "Okay… Okay… uhmm? Merle, you head to the roof give us some eyes on the street." The Asian guy began directing orders clearly he worked well under pressure. "Whoa now you ain't order—"Merle began to say, but interrupted by the Asian giving orders. "No time to argue, just go! "

Merle than left through the door the small group came in when they first met. "Okay Andrea you and Jacqui stay here and guard the doors they haven't seen us yet, but if they do don't know how long the glass will hold. T-dog, Morales! You come with me and Harper." They all nodded not knowing his plans, but backing him anyways. The Asian led the three to the back of the store to a door leading to an alleyway.

"Okay here's the plan… Harper and I are gonna go through the alleys and find out what's happening on the streets and whose popping off rounds. You guys stay here and put on that gear we found we might need some help getting back in once we find out what's going on." The Asian told them in a huddle by the door. "Alright sounds good." Morales told him. "Here." He handed the Asian a walkie talkie. "So we can communicate back and forth." "Good idea." He told him. "You ready?" He asked Harper. She readied her position into a batter's stance with her slugger and made sure her 45. was in her belt before she answered. "Ready."

The two climbed fire escapes and roofs before stopping on one seeing something they couldn't believe. A police officer ran down the street popping rounds into heads of the undead before diving under a tank, crowds of the undead forming around it trying to get to him. "What do we do? She asked him. "We can't just let him die like that! He's a police officer for Christ sake!" The young guy nodded his head in thought as they stood on the fire escape.

"The walkie!" He said as a light bulb in his head popped up. "We picked them up off some dead army guys. Their sequence could match up with the tanks we could try to contact him!" He said hopeful. "Than what?" She asked. "If we can guide him to this alley while the walkers are distracted he might have a fair shot." She looked at him puzzled. "Walkers?" She asked him.

"Yea that's what we took to calling the geeks down their. They're the walking dead so it seems suitable." He told her. "Yo, I never got your name." She said. "It's Glenn." He told her holding out his hand. She shook it smiling. "Nice to meet you Glenn." All of a sudden they heard a gunshot go off inside the tank. "Oh god… I hope that wasn't the sheriff giving up on us." She said worryingly. "Try the walkie now!" She told him. He fumbled the walkie dial and put it to his mouth talking into it.

"Hey you, you in there?

They luckily were able to reach the cop and miraculously Glenn's directions got him to the alley and up the fire escape with walkers grabbing at his feet. They proceed to call the officer a dumbass before he announces that his name is "Rick" shaking their hands. They make their way to the alley behind the no longer abandoned department store. They see two walkers in the alley and Glenn gets on his walkie. "We're back! Got a guest plus two geeks in the alley!"

They pause on stairs in the alley as the walkers advance towards them. All of a sudden Morales and T-dog wearing black body armor storm into the alley smashing the two walkers' brains in with bats they must have found while Glenn and Harper were gone. They run into the department store quickly. As they enter the blonde haired woman Harper came to know as Andrea grabs Rick by the collar throwing him into some boxes with a revolver in his face.

Morales gets her to lower her gun telling her to back off. She tells the scared sheriff that he has practically doomed them to a horrible fate as walker happy meals. They lead him to the front of the store showing him the horde that is now threatening to break through the glass doors. He looks helpless towards their insults and banter. "You just rang the dinner bell." Andrea tells him.

T-dog tries one of the walkies to see if they can contact their group. "Got no signal… maybe the roof." All of a sudden more gunshots echo through their ears from the roof top. "Oh no was that Dixon!" Andrea says as their plate of problems grows larger. "Come on! Let's go!" Glenn shouts as they run to the roof. The group bust through the metal door of the rooftop frantic. They see Merle Dixon standing on the edge of the building sniping out walkers down below them with his rifle. "Hey Dixon! Are you Crazy?!" Morales shouts at the ignorant redneck.

"Yo dumbass! Remember anything about silence being the key?!" Harper yells at his arrogance. Merle laughs shooting one last walker before turning around to the group. "Hey! You outta be more polite to a man with a gun! Huh?" Merle directs to her jumping off the ledge towards them. "Only common sense." T-dog than joins the mob on Merle yelling about the conservation of ammo. "Hey, it's bad enough I've got this taco bender up my ass all day! Now I'm gonna take orders from you? I don't think so bro." Merle walks to T-dog getting in his face. "That'll be the day."

T-dog looks at him confused and angry. "That'll be the day!" T-dog says getting riled up at Merle. Morales buts in getting him to chill out. The group stands watching wandering if they should interfere in it. Morales advises Merle to calm down with them having enough problems on their hands, but it doesn't stop him from opening his mouth to T-dog once more. "You wanna know the day?" "Yeah!" T-dog answers angrily. "Let me tell you the day Mr. Yo! It's the day I take orders from a nigger!"

T-dog launches a fist at Merle, but he dodges hitting T-dog in the face with the butt of the rifle. The group runs to break it up, Rick the first to get there, only to be hit in the face knocking him to the ground in the same manner. Merle turns and punches T-dog in the face again, continuing to punch and kick him to the ground, his head hitting a pipe, as the group screams for him to stop. Harper stands back knowing this isn't her problem.

Merle continues to kick him as the group burst into hysterics. The fire hot angry redneck than pins him to the ground, repeatingly beating his face. Rick struggles holding his nose and trying to raise himself off the ground. Harper rushes to his side as the fight continues. She looks and sees Morales try to pull Merle off of a badly bleeding T-dog, only resulting in the same as the officer she aids now. She watches Merle pull out a gun and the rest of the group crying in hysterics in fear of losing their friend.

Harper pulls on Rick's arm helping him up. "Come on hurry!" She whispers to him as he finds his balance. Merle spits on his victim shouting insanities as he gets off of him. Harper puts a hand on the beaten cop's sweaty shoulder. He must have been traveling all day he looked exhausted past the fact of just being knocked down by a large redneck. "Come on." She tells him. "You're a cop you can handle this." She whispers to him. "While he is being a dumbass and distracted get him from behind, I'll back you up just in case." She tells him putting her hand on her gun tucked into her belt. He nods and they watch Merle waiting for an opportunity to strike.

They stand watching Merle as he points his gun at the small afraid group, who has huddled around their injured friend, T-dog, telling them to raise their hands putting him in charge. He waits on them as they slowly and reluctantly raise their hands. Harper looks to Rick and they nod to each other. "Yea that means I'm the boss right? Yea… anybody else? Hmm? Anybody?" He says rhetorically as Harper watches Rick move behind him. "Yea!" Rick says hitting Merle with the butt of the rifle the redneck had dropped during his attack, taking him by surprise as the redneck falls to the ground. Harper points her gun on the fallen redneck. "You asked for it asshole!" She tells Merle.

Rick puts a sharp knee on Merle's face holding him down as he cuffs the redneck's right hand to a pipe. Rick props him against some pipe lining as Harper continues to point her gun at the handcuffed Hill Billy. Merle shouts demanding to know who the hell Rick is.

"Officer Friendly." Rick tells him.

Harper watches the two argue for a bit Merle not wanting to bow down to Rick's authority, the first authority he's probably had since this all started. Rick aims his gun at Merle's head who isn't dying down. The white trash mouth only comes back with "You wouldn't, you're a cop." Quickly retorted by Rick with "All I am anymore is a man looking for his wife and son. Anybody who gets in the way of that is gonna lose."

Harper smiles at Rick's statement even if it is a false hope knowing his family is mostly likely gone and walks to the edge of the building overlooking the sea of undead flooding the streets of Atlanta. She hears Merle start to yell insanities again as Rick throws something off the roof walking towards her with Morales following him. The two men join her at the edge of the roof.

"Yea your voice carries." Rick tells Merle who is yelling still. "You're not Atlanta P.D. where you from?" Morales asks the cop. Rick answers him. "Up the road a ways." Harper lights a cigarette, she saves now a days for times of stress. She than looks at Rick than to the undead below and tells him "Well Officer Friendly, from up the road a ways, welcome to the big city."

Harper sits on the roof with a beaten T-dog and handcuffed Merle while the rest of the group go down to check the basement of the department building believing there to be a way out through a drainage tunnel. They left her in charge of the two men so nothing would happen and to try the CB to see if they couldn't contact the group Harper had yet to meet outside of Atlanta.

"Okay boys if we're gonna be all Sammy sunshine positive for a change talk about something positive not the shithole situation we're stuck in." She looks at the men who had just had a little argument and roll their eyes at her and ignore her not saying anything. She makes an attempt to break the silence. "So Merle? You have a little brother?"

Merle scoffs. "What's it to you? He's just a pain in my ass used as a sympathy card to get you to lower your gun." Harper scoffs back half expecting him to come back with something like that. "Well he got a name and is he just as much of an asshole as you? Cause if so I'd like to know so I can stay away from him once we make it back. If we make it back the rate you dumb asses are going." Merle ignores her rolling his eyes shaking his head. "Daryl…" T-dog says to her glaring at Merle. "His name is Daryl."

"And don't worry he's an asshole, just don't think he's as big as the one across from me here." T-dog tells her. "Figured as much." She says getting up. "Hope they get back soon with good news. You might get lucky Dixon and get to see your baby brother again as long as you don't do anything stupid." She walks to the edge of the roof looking out Merle chuckling. "Ain't that what these cuffs are for?"

Harper rolls her eyes checking the CB looking out with some binoculars. All of a sudden the metal door to the roof swings open as the group enters after Rick. "Any luck?" She asks already knowing the answer from the look on their faces. "No." Rick says and Glenn looks at her with the worst news out of any of their mouths. "The first sets of doors are gone."

After no hope of the drainage system the group came up with another plan to get a truck from a construction lot down the street and get the hell out of dodge, but the truck had a good hundred walkers between it and the department store they were stuck in now. This is where Rick's plan came in.

Harper watched as T-dog and Morales carried the walker she had took out an hour beforehand into the storage room of the department store. Rick handed them all plastic lab coats and gloves. They set the body down and they all gathered and watched Rick raise a red axe he found in a fire escape case, but he than sat it back down. He knelt down puling out the thing's wallet. Harper not bothering with it since money is of no use now. Rick looked through it and than tossed her a pack of matches that sat inside it.

"Could come in handy." He looked at her as she caught them.

Harper with her new knowledge to check their wallets watched Rick as he went through the rest of the dead man's wallet. "Wayne Dunlap." Rick looked at them no longer going through the wallet. "Georgia license. Born 1979." He handed Glenn the license. Glenn looked at it than started to pass it around. "He had twenty-eight dollars in his pocket when he died and a picture of a pretty girl. "With Love from Rachel." Rick looked down.

Rick continued to speak about the dead man as Harper realized her fault in not checking the wallets of the dearly departed. This was to remember that these were victims and not just monsters. After that moment she felt the at most respect for Officer Friendly and would have his back from that moment forward as his leadership started to shine through. Rick finished talking about the man and put his safety mask on and picked back up the axe as Glenn spoke up. "And one more thing. He's an organ donor."

Rick than began to start hacking the body in pieces as they all cringed in disgust as the worse was yet to come. "Everybody got gloves? Remember do not get any on your skin or in your eyes." The group proceeded to than cover Rick and Glenn in the guts of Wayne Dunlap, Glenn hurling mid way. As Harper felt the insides squish in her hands she was glad she was not the one to go with Rick on this mission.

The group ran around the roof top panicking and grabbing there gear. Glenn contacting them on the walkie moments before telling them to get ready the truck was coming. Harper ran around the roof grabbing her pack, but seeing T-dog struggle with his equipment as the others began to leave. "Come on don't leave me man! Don't leave me!" Merle started to yell. "T you free Dixon! I'll grab the rest!" Harper told T-dog as she ran to him.

T-dog ran towards Merle with the key Rick had given him before the two men left. In one motion Harper looked back and saw T-dog trip over a tool bag spreading tools across the roof. Than small descending clinks echoed in their ears. T-dog got back up running towards her. "You did that on purpose!" She heard Merle yell. "I'm sorry!" T-dog yelled running to the door. "T-dog?!" She asked wondering what just happened. "Come on!" He told her. "Don't leave me!" She managed to hear Merle scream for his life before T-dog slammed the door and bolted it shut with a padlock.

As Harper made it down to the main part of the store with Merle's arch nemesis walkers broke through the second set of doors setting the two on a full sprint times ten. The two make it to the loading dock and see the door is still shut and the group stands there. "COME ON! Come on they're in here! Move your asses!" Harper yells to them pulling on the chain lifting the door the end of the cube van and Rick appear. Harper throws her pack in as do the others before throwing themselves in and making a clean getaway by a hair.

"What the hell! What happened on the roof?!" She shouted at T-dog once they all sat in the truck noticing the redneck missing. She was angry knowing that Daryl Dixon just lost his big brother. No matter how big of an asshole nobody deserves to be left on a rooftop or lose their big brother like that and when she got back she was gonna tell that to Daryl. "I dropped the damn key." T-dog said looking remorseful and full of guilt she knew than he felt the same and didn't press the issue farther. Like nothing had happened to the oldest Dixon Andrea breaks in. "Where's Glenn?!" She asks as a red mustang speeds past them with full blare on beeps and a young Asian shouting "WOOHOO!"

"There's your answer." Harper says and they all smile and laugh with relief that they had survived the horror of Atlanta. Harper, not being able to get the name Daryl Dixon out of her mind though and how they were going to break the news to him.

TO BE CONTINUED:

_**NEXT CHAPTER HARPER MEETS THE BABY BROTHER**_


	3. Chapter 3: Finding a Family

_**OKAY SO I AM SORRY IT'S TOOK THIS LONG TO INTRODUCE THE MAN OF THE HOUR …SIR DARYL DIXON, BUT I DIDN'T WANT TO INTRODUCE HIM TILL THE 3**__**RD**__** CHAPTER IN HONOR OF THE SHOW NOT INTRODUCING HIM TILL THE 3**__**RD**__** EPISODE SO THAT'S WHY :P THIS CHAPTER IS GONNA SPEED UP AND GET THROUGH MORE BIG EVENTS THAN THE LAST CHAPTERS I JUST WANTED TO FLESH THEM OUT AND KINDA SHOW HOW HARPER ACTS UNDER PRESSURE AND AROUND A GROUP… OKAY I'LL SHUT UP NOW AND LET YOU READ, DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW! OPINIONS ON THIS WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED, GOOD OR BAD… HOPEFULLY GOOD THOUGH HAHA**_

_**LOVE**_

_**J**_

**SEASON 1 EPISODE 3: Tell It To The Frogs**

**CHAPTER 3: Finding a Family**

-Home is a notion that only nations of the homeless fully appreciate and only the uprooted comprehend

~Wallace Stegner

* * *

"Best not to dwell on it." Morales says looking at Rick and Harper from the passenger seat of the cube van, sensing that the two of them were bothered by the leaving behind of Merle Dixon. "Merle getting left behind. Nobodies gonna be sad that he didn't come back except maybe—"Harper looks up at the men in the front. "Daryl." Harper finishing Morales' statement. "Daryl?" Rick looked puzzled. "His brother." Morales tells him only making Rick and Harper feel worse about leaving the human behind.

Daryl and questions kept passing through her mind. What was he gonna look like? How was he gonna react? Did he truly act like his big brother? Would he try to hurt T-dog or Rick them being responsible for his brother? And lastly what was he gonna do knowing that none of them including her, even tried to make an attempt to help the man who was currently rotting in Atlanta's sun?

The trip to the group that Harper had never met grew even longer as she thought about what awaited them once they got there. Finally she couldn't take the thoughts that rushed through her mind and fell into a vast sleep even with Glenn's mustang's sirens blaring. As she closed her eyes she thought "_Yea silence is the key Harper."_

She awoke Morales nudging her leg. "We're here. Why don't you come meet everybody." He told Rick and Harper as he got out of the van. She noticed everyone else was out of the van leaving her and Rick. Rubbing her eyes she climbed to the front of the van watching through the windshield. What Harper expected and what she saw were to different things. She expected to see an angry younger Merle to be attacking T-dog, but that wasn't so. What she saw was happy and a moment to remember.

Through the windshield she could see the mustang and a large Winnebago parked in front of them. But that wasn't what was catching her eye. There was no young angry redneck to be seen only rejoice, love, hugging, and family. She watched as Morales held out his arms and two small children and a woman ran into them. She watched in awe not seeing a child in a month. She looked at them as if she were seeing the ocean for the first time. After that she saw Andrea crying and hugging a young blonde girl Harper assumed to be her sister. She saw T-dog, Jacqui, and Glenn hugging other people and smiling shaking hands. This left Harper in question where was the youngest Dixon brother?

She than took notice to Rick who sat beside her with his head down upset. She knew he was thinking of his wife and son. She patted his back. "Ready?" She asked and he nodded. The group stared at them as they came out especially a muscular man with black hair and a woman and what Harper presumed to be her son. The three humans looked as if they'd seen a ghost. Harper was confused and not paying attention to Rick. When all of a sudden she saw the boy's face light up. "DAAADDD!"

Dad? Harper was confused. Than it hit her as Rick ran past her to the boy taking him in his arms, the woman soon joining the embrace as they cried together. This had to be the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. It was a miracle. Soldiers returning home had nothing on this sight. Officer Friendly found his family, what Harper had thought of as the impossible.

* * *

Later on that night the group huddled around a fire together after Harper had met everyone. Harper only got a brief introduction considering the events that had happened with the Grimes family reuniting. She learned the names of Officer Rick Grimes' family. His wife was Lori Grimes and their son Carl Grimes who was twelve years old.

The muscular man that had watched Rick in awe was Rick's partner, Deputy Shane Walsh. Andrea's sister was Amy who had been going to college when the dead started to rise. Than there was a small quiet family of three the Peletiers, Carol and Ed and their twelve year old daughter Sophia. Also she met Dale Horvath a wise old guardian of the group, he owned the Winnebago. Than Jim a mysterious man that didn't talk to her much when she introduced herself.

And last, but not least, which she didn't get to meet, was younger brother Daryl Dixon. He was on a hunt and could come back at any point and time with no warning; the group told her that he did that often. Before she has even met the man she already feels for him having lost her older brother and father to Atlanta, just as he had with Merle. Just the bad part being he doesn't know it yet.

The group sits around the fire as Rick and Harper tell their stories. Rick having woke up from a coma to this nightmarish world and Harper telling how she's lived this whole time traveling in Atlanta with no problems until Merle had pointed a rifle at her head. She avoided telling the story of her father and brother's deaths being to painful to recall. They are interrupted when Shane gets up to tell the Peletiers to "Rethink a log" with some reluctance Ed finally orders Carol to pull it out.

When he joins the fire once again, Dale brings up the topic that had been racing through Harper's mind. "Have you given any thought on Daryl Dixon?" Dale looks to the group. "He won't be happy to hear his brother was left behind." T-dog speaks up first wanting to be the one to tell Daryl about Merle. Than Rick jumps in wanting to and so does Harper. Glenn advises that it might sound better coming from a white guy than T-dog, from this Harper comes to the conclusion that Daryl's probably racist like Merle. From talk she's coming to find out that Daryl is a lot like his older brother and is dreading their meeting.

The group finally heads to their beds. Glenn earlier helped her set up a small tent near the campfire. She rested in a cot thinking to herself "_Tonight I might actually get some sleep." _But sadly for her the thoughts of what's to come of the Dixons kept her awake most of the night. She got a good 2 hours before the sun peeked its head up through her small tent. She got up wondering if today was the day she'd meet the youngest Dixon.

She woke up and slipped on one of her new tank tops and a women's flannel shirt instead of the fat truck driver's flannels. She put on Wayne Dunlap's boots that still stank of a rotting corpse. She walked to the fire pit and sat down rubbing her forehead with a massive headache. "Here." Jacqui walks up and hands her a pill. "Take some ibuprofen you look like you need it." Harper accepts the pill as Jacqui also hands her a water bottle to take it down with. Harper takes the pill and hands Jacqui back the water bottle. "Keep it." Jacqui tells her. "Thanks." Harper says with gratitude over her pounding headache.

"Didn't get much sleep last night. Got A lot of things going through my mind." Harper tells her resting her head on her palm. "Is it about Merle?" Jacqui asks her concerned. "No." Harper looks at her. "Daryl." Jacqui nods. "The man will be fine, don't worry about it. We've all lost hun."

Harper nods her head looking at the kind woman standing in front of her. "Hey you know what I was gonna take Carl and Sophia on a little walk let them see the woods a bit and get em' out of the camp for once. Why don't you come with us get your mind off things. I know you've been eyeing the kids you can get to know them." Jacqui extends an invite as Harper nods her head kind of wanting to be around the kids already feeling like a natural protector to the last children maybe on Earth.

Jacqui smiles. "Plus you look pretty handy at taking out walkers… we might need you." Harper gets up nodding. "Just let me get my slugger and I'll come." Jacqui walks away towards a table where Carl and Sophia sit coloring used up coloring books Glenn had found in Atlanta. Harper goes back to her tent and finds her slugger resting underneath the cot. She steps out and looks around. Most of the group is already up and moving. Carol and Lori do laundry and the men stand around the mustang starting to strip it of parts and fuel as Glenn watches in horror as his joy ride gets torn apart.

Harper walks to the table Jacqui and the children are at. "Ready." She says sticking the bat on her side. "You guys ready?" Jacqui says smiling at the kids rubbing Carl's head. They spring up excited nodding their heads. Obviously they're stir crazy. "Hey Jacqui!" They turn around to see Miranda, Morales' wife, and her little boy and girl walk up. "Could we join the walk?" Jacqui smiles crouching to the two small kids. "Do you guys wanna go!?" She asks them enthusiastically and they nod their heads shyly smiling behind their mother. "Well than that settles it! Let's go!" Jacqui tells them smiling and they enter the woods.

Harper watches happily as the children point out every bug and different kinds of plants they see. "Look! Look!" Sophia shouts tugging on Harper's sleeve excited pointing at something in a tree near them. Harper kneels by her and looks up to see a squirrel scurrying up a tree. All though it would make a good meal they're not hear to hunt and kill, but to escape death. She looks at Sophia smiling. "Cool… You know what kind it is?" Harper asks the intrigued little girl. "No? There are kinds of squirrels?!" Sophia asks confused. Harper laughs at the statement. "Many… that one right there is an Eastern Fox Squirrel."

"How do you know that?" Sophia asks looking at her amazed. "My big brother Sam taught me the different kinds here, when I was about your age." She tells Sophia. "Really could you teach me?" Sophia pleads to Harper with her big hazel puppy dog eyes. "Sure I can teach you." Harper says standing up and taking the little girl's hand in hers as the walk deeper through the woods. They lag behind talking about squirrels as the rest move further ahead. Sophia is especially excited hearing about flying squirrels as they walk but are interrupted by Jacqui. "Oh my god!" She says pulling Carl in to her blocking him from seeing something ahead. Harper notices Miranda doing the same thing with her children. Harper walks with Sophia to what the two women are seeing.

In a small clearing Harper and Sophia begin to see a deer with arrows sticking out of it walking slowly in front of them. Harper kneels to Sophia who starts crying and hugs her so she can't see what's about to happen. Harper knew from the wounds on the deer it would be dead shortly. Harper's shoulder starts to become soaked with tears of the little girl who holds on to her with a death grip.

"Shh-shh it's gonna be okay." Harper whispers in the little girl's ear and rubs her back. Than Harper watches as another arrow flies into the deer and it screams before falling to the ground dead. Sophia begins to sob hearing its scream as does Miranda's children, but not Carl who just looks frightened. Sophia slowly let's go of her grip on Harper and looks at the dead deer only to return her hug on Harper with small weak cries. Than from Miranda comes a blood curdling scream as a walker comes out of the woods and goes to the lifeless deer.

"GO! GO! GO!" Harper yells to them as she picks up a scared to death Sophia and runs herself. Carl runs ahead the fastest yelling for Lori. Jacqui right behind him as Miranda cradles her youngest child and runs next to her little girl. "CARL! BABY!" Harper hears Lori yell for her son. The camp must've been alerted by Miranda's scream and they come running. Lori reaches Carl and embraces him in her grasp. "Nothing bit you? Nothing scratched you?" Lori asks him frantic and worried.

The men run past them. "SOPHIA!" Carol comes running as Harper kneels down with the little girl in her arms. Sophia cries as Carol takes her from Harper's embrace. "Mommy!" Sophia sobs. Harper than lifts herself back up pulling out her bat to go claim vengeance on the walker that ruined their perfect morning.

She sprints back to the site they first saw the walker, but getting there to late to do anything as Dale chops its head off with an axe. They all take big breaths exasperating. Andrea and Amy run down to see the commotion. "That's the first one we had up here. They never come this far up the mountain." Dale says catching his breath. "They're running out of food in the cities." Harper says with an experienced tone in her voice. Than as if on cue to add onto their problems for the day. They hear branches snap and ready their makeshift weapons as a young irritated redneck wielding a crossbow steps out of the woods. His name being Daryl Dixon.

At last one of the questions that had been going through Harper's mind was answered. She now knew what he looked like and it was not at all what she expected. She expected him almost to be just a smaller looking version of Merle, but surprisingly the youngest Dixon was actually attractive. She figured that he was the brother that got the looks of the family. The only resemblance she saw in the men was the cold blue eyes and the look of they had been through hell even before the end of the world. Although not looking much like his big brother she was definitely able to tell the two were related.

Unlike Merle, Daryl actually had a full thick head of dark brown hair. He had a sun kissed tan and muscles in his shoulders showing that he was outside a lot and was a hard worker not looking as if he got his muscles from a fitness gym. He was naturally attractive and didn't look as if he tried at all with his looks. He had unkempt stubble growing on his face showing he didn't shave or keep it up, but still it was slightly sexy. He was dirty, filthy, sweaty and covered in who knows what from head to toe with a line of dead squirrels hanging off his side. Harper had always had a strange taste in men, but this redneck she thought of as the most exotic. Than he opened his mouth and the attractiveness flew away.

The men lower their weapons as Daryl sees them surprised as to why they're there and than he sees his kill. "Son of a bitch!" Daryl said still making his way to the deer. "That's my deer!" Daryl pieces together the scene seeing the walker. "Look at it!" He sees beginning to kick the walker. "All gnawed on by this filthy! Disease bearing! Motherless! Proxy Bastard!" Dale tells him to come down being the wise old man that he is. Daryl charges him getting in his face. "What do you know about it old man?! Why don't you take that stupid hat and go back to on golden pond!"

Daryl walks away sighing and pulling the arrows out of the deer. "Been tracking this deer for miles, was gonna drag it back to camp cook us up some venison." Daryl crouches down waving an arrow around where the walker made his feast on the deer. "What do you think? Think we can cut around this chewed up part right here?" Shane speaks up to him. "I would not risk that." Daryl sighs disappointed. "It's a damn shame. Well got us some squirrels. About a dozen or so that'll have to do." Harper already liked him better than Merle, because of his concern to feed the group, but it wasn't saying much considering she liked a whole lot of people way more than she did Merle Dixon. All of a sudden at Harper's feet the head began to move and snap its jaws. She stepped back startled. Andrea and Amy leave in disgust. Daryl than looks at her for a brief moment than aims his crossbow at the snapping head. "Come on people what the hell!"

Daryl than proceeds to shoot the snarling head with his crossbow. "It's gotta be the brain, don't y'all know nothing?" Daryl stomps off past Harper nearly bumping into her.

* * *

"He dead?" Daryl asks Shane who tells him about a problem in Atlanta with Merle. "Not sure." Shane tells him. Daryl gets angry and his emotions start to come through. "He either is or he ain't!" Daryl yells wanting an answer about his brother. Harper wants badly to say something to Merle's little brother, but words don't come. Rick does the job telling him that Merle was handcuffed to the roof and left behind. Harper starts to feel for him as his eyes get glassy. "Hold on." Daryl steps back turning around wiping his eyes so people couldn't see. "Let me process this, you say you handcuffed my brother to a roof?! And you left him there!?" Rick looks at him and only replies with a simple "Yea."

Daryl tears up than violently throws the line of squirrels at Rick who dodges them. He charges him screaming only to be knocked down by Shane. Quickly recoiling he grabs out his knife. He goes after Rick who dodges and disarms him in a cop procedure. Shane comes up behind him and puts him in a chokehold. Daryl screams for him to let him go, but Shane keeps his grasp. "Choke holdings illegal!" Shane gets him to the ground. "Yea well you can file a complaint. Come on now we can do this all day." Shane tells him as he continues to struggle. Rick asks him "For a calm discussion." Daryl finally dies down and Shane lets him go.

Daryl kneeling on the ground teary eyed and out of breath gets delivered all the details on Atlanta and about who dropped the key. Angry and emotional he demands to go get him. Glenn, Rick, and T-dog volunteer to go back for him with a protest from the group saying he is not worth their lives. Rick convinces them by telling them that while in Atlanta he dropped a bag of guns and he needs to go back and get it. Daryl is hesitant about them going, but knows he'll need manpower. They separate to get supplies and to get ready for the trip.

Harper feels sadden Daryl's situation reminding her of her own with her brother. She gets glassy eyed seeing Daryl walk by her with a tear running down his face before quickly wiping it away so people wouldn't see. Once again she wants to speak out, but no words come to her. Than she sees Rick walking away from Lori and Shane upset. Harper goes to him. "Rick I want to go."

"Harper, I can't let you." Rick tells her sighing. "Why the hell not!" The group starts to take notice including Daryl. They keep an open ear on the conversation. "I have enough men risking their lives, I need you here." Rick tells her, but she doesn't give up. "I can help! I know that city like the back of my hand… I was there when it happened!" Rick sighs and the group pays more attention to Harper's yelling. "We have Glenn; he knows the city just as well." Harper shakes her head. "No he doesn't Rick. I've never left the city since this all started you need me! Listen let Glenn stay… if he gets hurt or worse you guys care about him know him. You don't know me at all. I'm a stranger if I get killed so be it. Nobodies gonna care. Let me go in his place."

Rick shakes his head and Shane walks up. "Rick man, she's got a point." Rick stands and thinks for a moment. He than begins to nod. "Okay, Okay!" He puts his hands up. "Glenn stays behind." Glenn nods in a grateful manner not wanting to have gone in the first place.

The group once again spreads out except for Daryl who walks to Harper. "Who the hell are you?" He asks her demanding and wanting to know why she would want to help. "Harper." She tells him. "Your brother pulled a gun on me and now I'm here with the best set up I've had since the world went to shit." She looks into his blue eyes actually not afraid to talk to him now that the cats out of the bag. "I owe him. He's the reason I'm here."

She disguises the true reason she wants to help and turns away. Daryl grabs her arm and she turns. "You can get your hand off me." She says than sees his face actually calm and not hot headed like it had been before. She than stares at him. "Thanks." He says than walks away leaving her standing there not expecting a bit of gratitude from him.

* * *

"Wake up!" Harper wakes up in the cube van Daryl slightly kicking her with his foot. "Time to roll!" He jumps out the back of the open van with T-dog. They had reached their destination the outskirts of Atlanta to find Merle. Harper reluctantly gets up tired from the no sleep the night before. She was determined if she got back tonight to get a good sleep and to reunite the Dixon brothers.

The four of them follow the lead of Harper. "Merle first or guns?" Rick asks Harper. "Merle, we ain't even having this discussion!" Harper looks at Daryl angry. "Jack ass he wasn't asking you…. okay?" Daryl glares at her. "Patience my friend…. We go for Merle first." She looks at him as they continue to walk. Rick nods. "Alright let's go."

They get through the city to the department store with only Daryl having to take out a few walkers silently with his crossbow. Once in the Department store they had been stuck in the day before, there is one lone walker. "Damn. What one ugly skank." Daryl says taking out the woman walker with an arrow to the skull. Harper shakes her head. "Come on. Let's go there are no more doors to protect us now." She says pointing to the shattered doors from previous events.

They run up the long stairs to the roof stopping at the bolted door. Daryl is anxious to get in, but Harper has a bad feeling, Merle's being to quiet. T-dog gets the lock off with the bolt cutters Dale gave them. Daryl is the first one to charge out, Harper is the last one to see the roof top. When she comes out she sees no Merle. Daryl runs to where Merle should be and starts screaming and sobbing. "No! No! Nooo!" She sees T-dog and Rick's faces turn to her and than put their heads down. She goes to where they had left Merle and sees what they're looking at, the cuff Merle should be attached to dangles down blood dripping off of it, Merle's right hand lays on the roof in a puddle of blood underneath it. "No! No! No!"

Daryl starts to collapse with sobs putting his hands on his knees. Harper sympathetic towards him goes up and puts a hand on his back. He quickly lifts his crossbow and aims it at her head. She puts her hands up. Now both Dixon brothers have held her at gun point. "Whoa Dixon!" T-dog says. Daryl than points his bow at T-dog. Rick aims his python at Daryl's forehead. Daryl doesn't lower his crossbow wanting to kill somebody for this, the man who dropped the key in his sights.

"I won't hesitate. I don't care if every walker in the city hears it." Daryl tears up and blinks the tears away, putting his crossbow down. Daryl fights back tears and stares at T-dog. "You gotta due-rag or sumthin?" T-dog hands Daryl a bandana. Daryl takes the bandana over to his brother's hand breathing heavily fighting back tears before he picks it up wrapping it in the bandana. Harper holds her bag open and he looks at her before putting it inside.

They find a blood trail leading across the other side of the roof into another building. Appearing to be an office building. They continue to go on the wild goose hunt for Merle until they come to the end of the blood trail. At the end is a lit stove top and burnt flesh where Merle cauterized the stump. They only find a broken window where Merle left the building and could now be anywhere in Atlanta dying from shock or blood loss. Daryl demands to go look for him more, but Rick tells him that they're to get the guns before looking again.

* * *

Harper makes a plan to get the guns and they follow it. T-dog and Rick are to wait in an alley and Daryl is to come to another and wait while she runs for the guns, so once she grabs them she can escape either way. Daryl and Harper climb down the fire escape she met Rick on, together. They hide behind a dumpster waiting for the walkers to spread a bit to give her some room to run. "Get these guns, find Merle, and make it home in time to eat those squirrels. What do you say?" She smiles at Daryl. "You eat squirrels?" Daryl looks surprised. "The women in the group get squeamish… didn't take you as one to eat any." Harper looks at him. "Well there's a lot you don't know about me."

Harper than gets in her batter stance with her slugger. "You name it?" Daryl asks her. "What?" She asks still waiting for the right time to go. "Bat like that should have a name; it's a she, so find her a name." Harper shakes her head as she finds a spot to run through. "Well see ya!" She tells him darting to the street. She rounds a corner seeing the tank and making a full dash running through walkers. She swerves through them not being touched by one. She sees the black gun bag and a sheriff's hat and grabs them. The way to T-dog and Rick is blocked. She hears someone screaming and runs back to Daryl.

When she gets there she sees Daryl on the ground being kicked and beaten with bats by some Hispanic looking men. "DARYL!" She shouts dropping the bag of guns and hat. She takes her bat and swings it hitting one of the men in the face. The other elbows her and she returns it kicking him in the gut. The two men recover. One tackles her pinning her to the ground while the other goes for the guns. Daryl shoots the one grabbing for the guns in the ass. A car pulls up as Daryl aims the crossbow ready to fire again. The men grab Harper using her as a shield. She puts up a fight and is able to reach around and grab the arrow stuck in the man's behind twist it pull it out and stab it in him again. They hit her in the face turn her around and use her as a hostage leaving the guns, that they were after.

"DARYYYLL! DARYL! HELP! DARYL!" Harper screams as they pull her into the back of the car and drive away.

* * *

TO BE CONTINUED:

_**NEXT CHAPTER DARYL COMES MARCHING IN**_


	4. Chapter 4: From Both Sides Of Captivity

_**OKAY GUYS THIS CHAPTER HARPER IS CAPTURED BY THE VATOS AS YOU ALREADY KNOW AND I WANTED TO GET REACTIONS FROM BOTH SIDES SO THIS CHAPTER GOES BACK AND FORTH FROM HARPER'S POINT OF VIEW TO DARYL'S… I KNOW IT WAS RISKY REPLACING GLENN WITH HARPER DURING THIS PART OF THE STORY, BUT IF HARPER WAS IN THE STORY I THINK IT WOULD BE MORE LOGICAL FOR HER TO GO IN PLACE OF GLENN AS SHE TOLD RICK LAST CHAPTER, IT JUST MAKES MORE SENSE AND IT WILL HELP EVOLVE HER AND DARYL'S RELATIONSHIP AS THE STORY GOES ON, AGAIN I AM SORRY THAT IT'S TAKING A LONG TIME FOR THE TWO TO DEVELOP ANYTHING REALLY, BUT I WANT TO DO IT RIGHT NOT JUST MAKE IT LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT, BECAUSE THAT'S JUST NOT WHO DARYL IS… SO ANYWAYS ALWAYS REMEMBER REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW! LET ME KNOW HOW I AM DOING **_

_**LOVE**_

_**J**_

**SEASON 1 EPISODE 4: Vatos**

**CHAPTER 4: From Both Sides of Captivity**

* * *

_DARYL'S SIDE_

"COME BACK HERE! YOU SONS OF BITCHES!" Daryl shouts to the car speeding away with Harper screaming for him. The gate fills up with walkers as Daryl shuts it. T-dog and Rick come running down the alley towards Daryl. Daryl than sees the young Mexican guy that snuck up on him moments before. He lunges at him, but Rick holds him back. "I'M GONNA KICK YOUR NUTS UP IN YOUR THROAT!" Rick continues to hold him back while T-dog holds on to the left behind Vato.

"What happened?!" Rick asks.

"THEY TOOK THAT HARPER GIRL! THIS LITTLE BASTARD AND HIS BASTARD HOMIE FRIENDS! I'M GONNA STOMP YOUR ASS!" Daryl points at the scared man. T-dog breaks in pointing to the walkers on the other side of the fence. "Guys! Guys! We're cut off!" Rick points to the fire escape. "Get to the ladder!" Rick grabs the bag of guns and his hat. Daryl looks at him in disbelief wanting to go after her. "NO! We gotta go get her!" Rick pulls on Daryl's shirt. "What do you think we're doing?! Now come on!" They run to the fire escape following T-dog and the Vato.

_HARPER'S SIDE_

Harper sits in the back seat of a worn out car being held down by two large Mexicans. She kicks and screams giving them a hell of a time. "DARYL! DARYL!" She screams believing in her head that he can hear her. Tears roll down her cheeks. The man in the passenger seat screams having the arrow stuck in his ass. "PULL IT OUT HOMIE! PLEASE! PULL IT OUT!" The man driving rips the arrow out with a loud scream from the man who got the injury. The man driving tosses it out the window.

"DARYL! DARYL!" Harper cries thinking that replacing Glenn might of actually caused her death.

"Daryl can't help you lady! Now shush!" One of the men holding her down says. She bites his hand as hard as she can, making some freedom for herself as her victim cries out in pain. She gives three hard kicks to the backseat window with Wayne Dunlap's boots and the window shatters. "DARRYYYLLL!" She sobs fearing for her life her herself not knowing why she still screams the redneck's name.

"Man, do something to keep her quiet! We need to get the geeks off us not draw them to us!" The driver shouts at the men in the back. "DAAAARRYL!" She gets his name out before they gag her and knock her over the head with the butt of a gun knocking her out.

_DARYL'S SIDE_

Daryl paces angry in front of Miguel, their captive, than marches to the gun bag grabbing out a shotgun. Daryl already having thrown his brother's hand at the captive takes the shotgun and quickly aims it at him. "Get up! You're gonna take us there now!" Rick gets in the middle. "Daryl! We gotta make plans first!" Rick says putting his hand on the gun barrel pulling it down. "What's there to plan?! Let's get this asshole moving and go and get her!" Daryl shouts in Rick's face.

"Guys, is she even worth it? I mean we barely know her, we got the guns! We could go." T-dog suggests. Daryl turns from Rick and looks at T-dog all fired up and getting in his face. Rick puts his arms in between them. "YOU JUST GOT A TENDENCY OF LEAVING PEOPLE BEHIND, DON'T YA!? SHE'S A GIRL YOU ASSHOLE!" Daryl yells at T-dog. "ENOUGH!" Rick yells. "We're not leaving her behind and we're not giving up our guns." Daryl than picks Miguel up by his collar. "You tell me where she is NOW! Or I'll keep my promise on the feet!" Miguel looks frightened. "OKAY! Alright do-don't, just don't cut of my feet man!" Daryl throws him back down and looks at Rick marching away.

"We're held up outside the city, got a good dozen men with guns ready to aim and fire! Okay, it's too much for you to handle, you can't take them on!" Daryl ignores Miguel's statement and loads his shotgun about to walk off. "We know where she is let's go! They're not the only ones ready to aim and fire! " Daryl runs off. "Come on we ain't got all day!" Daryl yells behind him. Rick pulls on Miguel getting him up and points to T-dog to grab the bag of guns. He looks at Miguel. "You're gonna take us there." Rick marches leading Miguel with T-dog following him. Daryl running ahead.

_HARPER'S SIDE_

Harper wakes to find her self tied to a chair. Her hands bound to the arms of it and her feet the legs. Her head hangs down and the first sight she sees is her lap. She goes to shout for Daryl once more, but her mouth is duct taped. She hears a rag being spun out beside her. She looks and sees and old woman ringing out a cloth in a bucket of water. Harper squirms and tries to yell, but the tape muffles her. Tears roll down her cheeks not knowing where she is and knowing that there is no chance of help for her. She than feels blood on her face not knowing what it's came from. The old woman notices she's awake.

The old woman smiles and puts the cloth to her face. Harper struggles and tries to move her face away from the old lady, but can't move far with her restraints to the chair. She cries as the cloth touches her face. The old lady washes the blood off Harper's face. "You're so pretty." The old woman's Spanish accent shines through. Harper sobs not knowing what kind of creepy hell hole this is as the woman continues to wipe blood, dirt, and tears from Harper's face.

"Abuela! Abuela!" A man marches in the small room that she is being held in. She recognizes him as the man that got the arrow in his ass. He now walks with a limp. He sees the old lady. "Abuela! What are you doing? Go back with the others!" He tells the old woman. "She's so pretty!" The old lady says walking out. The man sees that Harper is awake. "Guillermo! Get in here she's awake!" She hears men rustling outside of the room. The arrow in the ass guy walks towards her.

She cries frantic and starts bouncing around in the chair. She tips it over landing the chair on her right hand fingers and tipping the old lady's bucket of water over. She is soaked on her whole right side by the water spreading on the floor, but that's the least of her worries. She knows a few of her fingers have broken and cries out in pain that is muffled by the duct tape once again. "Damn it G! Get in here!" The man says running to her side.

The man raises the chair with her in it, proving him to be strong. A smaller guy comes running in with a posse of three men behind him. He looks at her as she cries in fear. "Now look lady, Felipe here is gonna take that tape off and you're going to tell us where our boy Miguel went." He crouches in front of her and she breathes heavily as the same man from earlier with the wounded behind walks to her. "We're not going to hurt you." He says calm and she nods still breathing heavy. He leans into grab the tape, but she head butts him before he gets to and starts wiggling her chair again.

The man that she assumed took the name as their leader and Guillermo takes the arms of the chairs and holds them down as she tries to head butt him as well. She is determined to not make this easy on them if they're going to kill her. Guillermo dodges the head butt and rips the tape off her mouth, making her scream as it rips off her face. She quickly turns her head back towards him and spits in his face. He wipes it away with his hand. "Go to hell!" She tells him. "Listen lady! We're not here to hurt you we just want to find our friend Miguel. Got it?"

Harper breathes heavily. "I don't know who the hell you're talking about! Lemme go!" Harper screams wiggling the chair again only to have it put back in its place by Guillermo. "Look where are your people?" Guillermo asks only to have Harper ignore him trying to find an escape route. "Hey amigo! I asked you a question!" Guillermo snaps fingers in her face. "You deaf?"

"Go to hell! I ain't telling you shit!" Harper glares at him. He steps back and talks to Felipe. "What do we do man? She's a girl we can't beat her… we gotta find my cuz bro!" Felipe looks worried and not knowing what to do. Guillermo paces back in forth thinking. He than heads up to her and squeezes her broken fingers as she screams tears and pain. "Tell us what we need to know and we can help your hand!"

He lets go and she breathes heavily continuing to tell him to "Go to hell."

He paces again the look on his face tells Harper he knows she's not going to break. Than all of a sudden men yell "G! They're here!" Guillermo looks at his men. "Take her to the roof wait for my signal! Felipe come with me!" Guillermo runs out of the room, Felipe limping behind him. The men left behind reapply duct tape to Harper's mouth and stick a white bag over her head. She cries thinking this is it, god let her meet people and think there was hope all to have it end here. As they marched her away with her fighting them every step of the journey, all she could think was _"God's got a cruel sense of humor."_

They walk what seems like forever with her kicking. She wasn't going to give up till the very end. Even as they get to a flight of stairs they practically have to drag her to get her to go up. Not being able to see she has bumped and bruised herself every bit of the way fighting them. Her body soar, but not ready to give up. They get up one flight of stairs with struggle than turn a corner to go up another. The men not being able to take her fight anymore kick her knees and drag her by her arms up the stairs. She cries in pain at every bump of the stairs her body hits.

They finally reach the top and she hears a door swing open and an outside breeze hit her. They have reached the roof. She panics as one of them grabs her by her waste and pulls her up. She is becoming weak from the fighting and struggling. "Come on lady get up!" She hears one of the men say. They stand for a moment waiting on something; maybe the signal Guillermo talked about. Harper has no idea. Than they hear Guillermo's voice yell. "Oye!" He gives the signal.

The men walk with her and she fights again. She feels the proximity of a ledge in front of her and panics. She fears that she will be pushed at any moment meeting the ground below, but than the men quickly pull the bag from her head giving back to her, her vision. She looks below crying expecting to fly off, but sees Daryl and Rick standing below weapons pointed at Guillermo. She wants to shout Daryl one more time, but the tape like an unbreakable force shield blocks her once again.

_DARYL'S SIDE_

Daryl looks up at the young woman dangling off the ledge above them seeing fear in her light blue eyes, making his skin crawl. No woman should have that look in their eyes, but something about her eyes and her fear digs deep into Daryl's soul as she continues to stare at only him with tears rolling down her cheeks struggling in the men's arms.

"YOU SONS OF BITCHES! LET HER GO!" Daryl orders Guillermo. "Choose your words amigo… do you really want us to let her go right now?" Daryl looks up as her blue eyes grow larger and glassy with fear as she hears their conversation. "WHERE DO YOU GET OFF KIDNAPPING GIRLS!? HUH!?" Daryl says charging him Rick getting in the middle of it and Guillermo's men raise their guns at him. "DARYL! Enough!" Rick puts a hand on Daryl's chest. "You're Daryl?" Guillermo smiles. "Doesn't look like it helped her much screaming for you." Guillermo points upwards at her. Daryl charges again being stopped again by Rick. "Enough!"

Daryl calms down his heart pounding with rage at the man standing before him. Guillermo smirks. "I see two options. You come back with Miguel and my bag of guns, everybody walks... or you come back locked and loaded. We'll see which side spills more blood." Guillermo looks up at Harper smirking and than back at Daryl. He waves his finger in a circle signaling his men on the roof once again.

Daryl watches as they pull her away, her fighting and kicking them while staring into Daryl's soul for a plea of help. Something about this girl made Daryl want to see her come out of this safe. "Not a hair!" Daryl shouts walking away at Guillermo pulling Miguel by his collar violently. Guillermo and his men disappear back into the building.

_HARPER'S SIDE_

Harper ends up, after a long brutal fight, back in the same chair she was before. She no longer cries, but contemplates escape plans and the resources she has in the room as she hears men talk outside. She wonders what they're talking about and how much trouble her new found group had gotten themselves into and most of all she wonders how Rick, T-dog, and Daryl managed to find her and who the guy that they had with them was.

Harper's soar body rest in the chair not finding anything near that can help her in this situation. As much as her body tells her to just sit back and go with the flow of the situation her mind tells her otherwise. She is to seek every opportunity to escape. The men come back in following Guillermo. Guillermo walks to her pulling the new set of silver tape off her mouth. He pulls a switch blade out of his pocket. "Do what your gonna do… but I'm not—"

Harper is interrupted by Guillermo cutting the ropes tied around her wrist surprising her. She jumps up from the chair fist up. "Hold it now! We're not going to hurt you, the damage you've got is all from you. We were never going to hurt you." Guillermo tells her as the men raise their guns at her. "Just have a walk with me and I'll show you the kind of people we are verses what you think we are."

Harper puts her fist down seeing that they aren't at the moment going to cause her any damage. She follows Guillermo as they walk out of the room. They enter a white hallway with many doors. As she walks she can see into the open ones. There are old people playing cards, checkers, taking naps, knitting, and acting as if the world was normal. "What is this?!" She asks Guillermo. "See for yourself." They walk into a large room with tables and more old folk. Guillermo points to a tattered stack of pamphlets sitting on one of the end tables in the room. Harper picks one up. On the front is a picture of a happy old couple and the title above it saying:

_RETIREMENT, LIVING IN PARADISE_

Harper realizes what this place is. "You mean to tell me I'm standing in a retirement home?" Harper asks him in shock. Guillermo nods. "Are you stupid?! What if my boys come in here "locked and loaded?" What than?" She asks him angry at this man's leadership and stupidity. "I'm hoping they don't." He tells her. "Yea for your sake, I hope they don't either. God damn!" Felipe comes in. "Could you be a bit quieter you're gonna get the oldies riled up!"

She shakes her head sitting down. "So what's with the pamphlets? "Retirement, living in paradise?" Don't you think it's a bit ironic, leaving em around like that?" Guillermo nods. "It helps them forget what's outside, make this place normal you know?" Harper puts her head down shaking it. "God damn, when this thing happened I didn't even think of all the old out there." Guillermo sits next to her. "Don't feel bad. You weren't the only one. Most of the staff just got up, left them here to die." Harper shakes her head as the old woman before walks up. "Oh you're the pretty girl! Come! Come!" The old lady waves her hand motioning Harper to go with her.

The old woman takes her hand and leads her to a room off the hall. She shows Harper a corkboard of Polaroid pictures of random objects and people. "See! See!" The old woman points to the wall happy as a child getting a bike for Christmas. The old lady goes to a drawer in a dresser and pulls out a Polaroid camera taking a picture of Harper, who wasn't expecting her picture to be taken. The old woman grabs the picture as it slides out and pins it to the full corkboard. "See! See! You try!" The old woman hands Harper the camera. Harper smiles and takes a picture of the old woman.

The old woman smiles taking the picture away from Harper and tacking it to the board. "Good! See!" Harper holds out the camera to the old lady, but she doesn't take it. "No! You keep it!" The old woman says in her kind Spanish tone. "No I can't you need it more than I do." Harper still holds it out. "No, no I have more!" The Hispanic old lady walks to a closet opening the door. At the bottom of the closet she has a tote full of old Polaroid cameras. "Look!" The old woman says excited as if the tote's a chest of gold.

Guillermo and Felipe walk into the room smiling. "See you met Abuela, Felipe's grandmother." He chuckles as Felipe takes his grandmother back to the large room to play checkers. "What's with the—""The cameras?" Guillermo interrupts her pointing to the closet and she nods. "Abuela used to own a camera shop back in the day; it went out of business, so she kept them. To be honest it's helped us capture good moments." Harper looks up at the board seeing a picture of a walker pointing to it. "And the bad." Guillermo sighs. "We've tried taking it down, but Abuela; she knows these pictures like the back of her hand, she won't let us." Harper smiles. "Well she's a tough old lady for surviving that picture." Guillermo smiles a bit than sighs. "Felipe saved her just in time a minute later and she probably wouldn't be here." Harper looks at him. "Yea, but she is here." They smile in silence.

They sit quietly for a moment than Harper walks out Guillermo following her. "My men are going to keep an eye on you, but other than that you're free to walk around. You'll be back to your people once they give us our guns." Harper shakes her head. "Than you don't know what kind of stubborn assholes I'm with." She chuckles and walks away to Abuela's table and watches them play checkers. Abuela hugs Harper and smiles, Harper returns the smile.

Harper sits watching Abuela beat everyone at checkers bragging all the way. Harper laughs and smiles enjoying the old people. Her bruises, broken fingers, problems, and worries are gone as she watches the old enjoying their time even in this hell of a world. All of a sudden she sees men running down the hall. She runs to Guillermo. "What's going on?" Fearing that maybe one of the old was hurt. "It's your boys they're back." Guillermo says. "Carlito! Felix! Stay behind watch her!" Guillermo looks at her. "Sorry miss, but you gotta stay behind so I can deal with this situation." Guillermo walks away hand on his gun tucked into his belt.

Harper goes back and sits by Abuela worried. Abuela sees her look on her face. She puts an old withered hand on Harper's back. "What's wrong dear?" Abuela's soft Spanish accent catches Harper's ears. Harper smiles at her reassuringly. "Nothing, just miss some friends of mine, that's all." Abuela rubs her back and gets back to her new game.

All of a sudden they hear an old man gasp and move around in his chair. "Mr. Gilbert! One of the men shouts. "It's his asthma! Carlito go get his inhaler!" Felix yells at Carlito. "Breathe…. Breathe." Felix whispers to the old man in a calm voice. "What's wrong with him?!" Harper rushes to the man's side as Carlito comes back. "I can't find it!" Carlito tells them. "Go get Felipe! NOW!" Felix yells at Carlito than looks at Harper who holds the old man's hand. "He's having an asthma attack." Harper than notices the disappearance of Abuela.

"Breathe." Harper and Felix tell the old man waiting for help.

_DARYL'S SIDE_

Daryl, T-dog, and Rick stand with their guns pointed at Guillermo just having given back Miguel and Daryl trying to charge Guillermo again for threatening to feed Harper to his dogs. Daryl stands glaring at Guillermo waiting for the signal to light his head up with lead. They have decided to come "Locked and Loaded" when they here a withered Spanish voice. "Felipe! Felipe!" Abuela appears out of the flood of men going to Felipe and Guillermo.

"Abuela! Go back with the others—now." Felipe orders his grandma pointing his gun at Rick and the others. "Get that old lady out of the line of fire!" Daryl yells at the men who would risk an old lady's life in a matter like this. "Abuela, listen to your m'hijo, okay? This is not the place for you right now." Guillermo looks back at her. "Mr. Gilbert is having trouble breathing, he needs his asthma stuff. Carlito didn't find it. He needs his medicine"

Daryl listens as the old lady sounds panicked wondering to himself what the hell she was talking about. The old lady than stares at Rick as Guillermo tells Felipe to go take care of it, but Abuela looks at Felipe than to Rick and the others curious as Felipe tries to take her away. "Who are those men?" She moves past Felipe to Rick seeing he's a cop in his uniform. She gets mad. "Don't you tah-he heem!" She tells Rick her Spanish accent shining. Daryl is confused as is Rick.

"Ma'am?" She continues to go on. "Felipe's a good boy. He have his trouble but he pull himself together. We need him here." She pleas. Rick and Daryl realize she thinks they're there to make an arrest and Daryl smirks, but continues to glare at Guillermo. "Ma'am, I'm not here to arrest your grandson." She looks confused. "Than what do you want him for?" She asks. Rick looks around trying to come up with something to tell her. "He's… helping us find a missing person. Young girl named Harper."

Daryl watches as Abuela's face lights up and she smiles. "The pretty girl?" She asks Rick. Daryl speaks up. "Yes ma'am, you seen her?" The old woman nods at Daryl. "She's with Mr. Gilbert. Come. Come. I show you. He needs his medicine." She waves her hand at the men to follow her. Daryl smirks at Guillermo as they pass. She holds Rick's hand and leads them. Daryl walks behind a limping Felipe which Daryl had caused. Daryl chuckles silently to himself at his work and will return the favor if this girl is hurt.

They pass through what Daryl observes to be some kind of care facility. Once in the main Hallway Felipe looks to his grandma. "Abuela, por favor take me to him." Abuela than leads them to a large room with a crowd of people surrounding an exasperated old man. "All right. All right. Breathe." Felipe tells the old man who takes in his inhaler Felipe gives him. Daryl after coming to a conclusion on what this place is hears another voice that catches his ears.

"Breathe." Harper repeats in a calm nurtured voice to the old man taking his hand in hers rubbing it softly. She turns her head and looks at Daryl who stares at her. He turns his head quickly and nervous not wanting to be caught looking at a one of the first girls he had thought pretty since the apocalypse, but would never admit it to her or anybody. He likes the way she is caring for the old man, not seeing that kind of compassion come from a human in a long time.

She stands up looking at the men she takes Ricks hand and shakes it. "Nice to see you guys." She slightly looks at Daryl than back to Rick. "What the hell is this?" Rick asks. "Mr. Gilbert here had an asthma attack while you guys were too busy working." She says partially to the Vatos and partially to Rick and them. Daryl than watches as she picks up a Polaroid camera off the table near her. She takes a picture of the three dumb founded men. She pulls the picture out and hands it to the old lady that led them in. "Here Abuela, one for you." She smiles handing it to the excited Old woman. "Gracias!" The old woman disappears into a room.

Harper than raises the Polaroid hiding her face and aims it towards Daryl taking a picture, him not expecting it to be taken. "And one for me." She reveals her face looking at Daryl, than takes the picture out sticking it in her back pocket. The men stand in shock that she is acting like this when just being kidnapped especially Daryl knowing how scared she looked on that roof.

"Thought you were being eaten by dogs man!" T-dog says. She looks back smiling at a bed of small miniature dogs who bark at them. Rick whispers to Guillermo and the two walk off and have a private conversation. Daryl than notices a gash on her forehead and bruises and cuts all over her body plus some swollen fingers on her right hand. He is outraged immediately and walks up to her. "They do this to you!?" He says slightly touching her gash.

_HARPER'S SIDE_

"The gash happened when they knocked me out. I was screaming and attracting walkers. The rest I did myself." She said not wanting the Dixon's rage released on these good people. "How in the hell?!" Daryl says softly, and nurturely rubs the area around her gash sending a soothing sensation to her pounding headache.

"I fought them coming up the stairs, as for my fingers, I smashed them under my chair when I wiggled out of it." Daryl looks at her swollen fingers and takes them in his hand, he touches one. "Does this hurt?" She gasps in pain. "What do you think?!" Harper takes her hand away quickly. "And why the hell would you care?" She bites at him. Daryl looks at her in disbelief. "Fine have it your way, but looks like two of them are broken." She looks at him. "How in the hell did you guys find me anyways?"

"They left a man behind, Miguel. Turns out he was a squealer." Daryl tells her, she smirks a bit. "Yea they interrogated me, wanted to know where you guys were held up. Told them to go to hell, but truth is slept both times going to the camp and from it so couldn't of told em' if I wanted to." She laughs rubbing her forehead. "Sad girl last out longer than a grown man." Daryl makes fun of Miguel who is now sitting in the room. Harper smiles. "Turns out these aren't bad people though."

T-dog looks at her in dibelief and so does Daryl. "So you can say that about people who just held you for ransom?" T-dog asks. "Yes." She nods sitting down. "Glad I went instead of Glenn too. If I had been a guy don't know whether they would have beat the info out of me or not, but since I'm a woman they didn't do anything except for like you said, hold me for ransom." T-dog sits down. "Man this has been a long past couple of days." T-dog puts a hand on his head. "Daryl, T, Harper. Come on." Rick calls them into a room.

_DARYL'S SIDE_

The group sits in the room with Guillermo talking about the retirement home. Daryl sees in Rick's eyes as Guillermo talks about plunderers that threaten them, that he is slowly going to give up guns to the Vatos. Daryl doesn't approve. Daryl watches Harper who is getting her fingers wrapped by a nurse while listening. He can tell by her eyes that she doesn't approve either of giving up all the guns. Daryl is a little amazed by this girl. _Who in the hell is she! _Daryl wonders already knowing her name, but still knowing there's a story behind it and he wants to know it. She's had to of had some history.

Most of all he wonders why her out of all people would want to help him or his brother, knowing by the way she acts she is not a one hundred percent people person herself. From the short time he's known her he has came to the conclusion that she is a mix of him and something a little bit more pure and better. She catches him staring at her again and he looks away.

The sentimental conversation with Rick and Guillermo ends with Rick handing Guillermo some of the guns and ammo. Daryl doesn't approve, but it's not his bag of guns to distribute. Harper gets done with her fingers being wrapped. She looks at Daryl but he quickly darts out of the room following Rick. "Gather your stuff; we gotta get back to camp before nightfall." Rick tells them. "Can you travel?" He asks Harper who meekly walks to them. Daryl remembers Merle. "What about Merle!? We can't just leave—he's my brother!"

Rick looks at Daryl. "We gotta round up with the others regroup and start again tomorrow. I need you to cooperate. Harper's weak needs rest." Harper looks at Daryl. "It's dangerous to travel at night in the city; he's right on this one. Merle's made it through one night; he's got a good chance at a second." Harper reassures him, but he sees in her eyes the belief that Merle is not going to be ok. She looks at him. "You still wanna make it home for dinner right?" She says smiling and something in her look reassures Daryl and he agrees.

_HARPER'S SIDE_

Abuela hands her a few cans of food and canisters of film for her camera kissing her on both sides of the cheek before the group takes off. She hides the pain in her hand as she grabs the cans and canisters, but it doesn't work. Daryl grabs the cans and canisters from her and shoves them in her bag. "Why you acting like that if they gave you medication? Man up for Christ's sake!" She looks at Daryl annoyed. "I didn't take any. They needed it more than I do, I'll take some aspirin or something once I get back." She tells Daryl forcibly bumping her soar shoulder against his as she walks by him largely annoyed.

"Be careful!" Guillermo waves to them as they leave and make their trip to the cube van. Harper walks the long walk beside the three men trying to hide her weakness, but can since Daryl watching her as if she was going to shatter in a million pieces at any second. The long walk to where they parked the cube van finally ends, but is about to get longer when they return finding it missing.

They assume Merle has taken it to return with vengeance on the camp. Harper sits down exhausted and weak resting her head on her knees. "Merle, you asshole." She says breathing heavy. Rick looks at her. "Rest for a bit, we got a long walk back to camp." She shakes her head looking up at Rick. "Don't patronize me, we only gotta a few hours before dark and we need to get there before Merle reeks havoc. At that kind of timing I better be sprinting there." She gets up looking at them. "What are you standing around for?" She says out of breath. "Let's go while the day is young people!"

"Wait a sec… you're not going anywhere just yet." Daryl takes the bat out of her hands and pulls her pack off sticking it on his back. "What the hell you doing?" She asks not feeling comfortable leaving hot headed Daryl Dixon with the care of her stuff. "Taking a load off. You are the one who said we gotta practically be sprinting. So let's go! What are you standing around for?!" Daryl tells her walking by bumping her in the shoulder as she had done him at the Vatos' place. Rick and T-dog smile and follow Dixon giving her no choice, but to follow as well.

After a good hours walk they reach the path heading up the rock quarry. Night surrounding them. It is quiet as she marches alongside Daryl Dixon. "Too quiet." She looks at Daryl. "There's no way he's made it back to camp yet." She speaks to soon as blood curdling screams echo through the quarry in the direction of the camp. "Oh my god!" Rick yells. Harper grabs her bat quickly from Daryl and runs past them as fast as she can to the camp, they follow.

All she can think is Merle's responsible, but when she gets there her mind has mislead her. It's not Merle, but something worse. Walkers surround the camp, already taking the lives of a few victims. Once her and the three men get there they split up killing walkers. She sees Lori holding onto Carl and Carol with Shane protecting them. Carol is sobbing. "Lori my baby!"

Harper looks around for Sophia, but doesn't see her. Then out of nowhere she hears a small child like scream come from her left. A good ten feet away Sophia is hiding under the end of a truck there is a walker too, crawling on its belly lustfully growling trying to grab for the little girl's small feet as she sobs and screams kicking at it.

Harper runs to the truck and pulls the walker by its feet than smashes its brains in with no thinking but swings of her bat. Harper than realizes how this scene will probably damage the little girl's mind, always repeating in her head as she grows up in this hell whole they call a world. Harper goes to the little girl as she crawls out from under the bed of the truck. She hugs Harper sobbing. Harper picks her up and whispers in her ear to close her eyes. Just in time too as three walkers surround the truck. Sophia holds tighter and tighter as she can hear and smell the walkers approaching. Harper knows she can't fight them holding onto Sophia.

Harper looks around her for options. She turns around and sees the truck. She tries the handle hoping it's not locked. To her luck it isn't and she swings it open. She sits Sophia in it and Sophia refuses to let go. "No! Don't go! Please don't! Don't leave me!" Sophia screams as the walkers draw nearer. "Sophia! There's no time! Get in and lock the doors, lay down in the floorboard close your eyes and stay quiet! I'll come back don't you worry. Go now!" Harper shuts the door and watches as Sophia's little fingers hit the locks, the little girl disappears from view. Harper grabs out her gun shooting the walker in front of her, but the second and third one continue to move.

She aims her gun at the second one, but when she pulls the trigger nothing comes out. She knew she was running low on ammo, but had forgotten to check. She resorts back to the olden days of fighting and grabs her slugger. With one swift swing the second walker goes down, but so does she, slipping in the loose dirt. She hits her head on the side of the truck as she falls, making her head spin and causing double vision. She watches the third walker and with her double vision it makes the one walker look like two as it stands over her ready to make a meal out of her warm flesh.

_DARYL'S SIDE_

Daryl starts killing walkers with his crossbow but turns to his shotgun to get a quicker kill. He looks for the girl that helped him look for his brother, but sees no signs of her as she ran off like a bat out of hell moments before. He glances at his big brother's truck almost making sure it was alright. Merle wouldn kill him if he ever got back and it was harmed, but out of the corner of his eye he's sees a walker wrestling with someone on the ground next to the truck.

He runs over and as he gets closer he can see Harper cringing in pain as she holds the walkers neck with her bad hand and punching it in the face with her other making her knuckles bleed. He notices that even though she is keeping the walker from biting her. The filthy bastard is slowly ripping the belly of her shirt and is going to make its way to ripping open her stomach if he doesn't do something.

He runs over to the scrawny walker on top of Harper and grabs the back of its shirt, slamming it into the side of the truck making a dent, thinking to himself, "_Merle's going to kill me." _The walker not quiet dead yet lies on the ground moaning beside Harper, threatening to attack again. Daryl pulls his knife out of its hard leather sheaf and plunges it into the walker's head. A pool of blood flows from the walker's head reaching Harper who lays weak on the ground holding her head. "Come on soldier!" Daryl grabs her arm and wraps it around his shoulder supporting her.

She walks holding her head a few feet with his help. Than realizes what's going on pushing away from him and running back to the truck. He turns around quickly watching her swing open the door and take Carol's daughter in her embrace. Daryl marches over. He takes the little girl in his arms cradling her, knowing Harper is to weak to carry a child no matter how small the child is. "Come on!" He tells Harper staring into her shocked blue eyes. "Hold onto my shoulder if you're weak."

_HARPER'S SIDE_

Harper holds onto Daryl's muscular bare shoulder for support, the man not wearing any sleeves. She stares at him as they make their way to the Winnebago surprised that he would rescue a little girl or her for that matter. Daryl has proven her thoughts about him wrong. They stop as a walker comes between them and the Winnebago. Daryl sets the crying little girl down gently. Sophia releases her grip on Daryl and runs to Harper. Harper picks her up breathing heavy and soar as Daryl takes down the walker.

Daryl runs back to them reaching to take the little girl back in his arms. Harper shakes her head and holds onto her. "I got her! Let's go!" They run to the Winnebago. Daryl taking walkers out along the way. When they get there Harper hands off Sophia to Carol who cries hugging her child. "Sophia baby! Mommy's here! Everything's gonna be ok!" Harper sits on the ground as the walker flood ends. "It's never going to be ok!" Harper hears Sophia whisper over and over again. A tear runs down Harper's cheek as she knows Sophia's right.

Rick, Lori, and Carl embrace each other in sobs. "Dad!" Carl sobs. Glenn and Daryl pace in shock of what has just happened. Andrea starts sobbing. "AMMMY! AMYYY! AMMAAYY!" Harper looks back to see Andrea kneeling over shaking her little sister's lifeless body. Jim looks around at them all as light tears fall from Harper's eyes. "I remember my dream now… why I dug the holes."

* * *

TO BE CONTINUED:

NEXT CHAPTER CDC OR FORT BENNING


	5. Chapter 5: A Casual Aftermath

_**HELLO EVERYONE WELCOME TO THE 5**__**TH**__** CHAPTER, WHICH IS THE AFTERMATH AS YOU ALL KNOW OF THE CAMP ATTACK AND THE GROUP DECIDING TO GO TO THE CDC IN SEEK OF REFUGE. SORRY IT TOOK ME SO LONG TO POST THIS, BUT WITH SCHOOL AND THE SUPERBOWL DIDN'T HAVE AS MUCH TIME… I WILL TRY TO GET SEASON 1 WRAPPED UP BEFORE THIS WEEKEND WITH SEASON 3 COMING BACK! SO EXCITED CAN'T WAIT… SO ANYWAYS TELL ME HOW I AM DOING PLEASE! REVIEW BECAUSE I WOULD GREATLY APPRECIATE FEEDBACK EVEN IF IT'S CRITICISM… WELL I'LL LET YOU GET ON WITH THE STORY NOW :P**_

_**LOVE**_

_**J**_

**SEASON 1 EPISODE 5: Wildfire**

**CHAPTER 5: A Casual Aftermath**

-The pain of war cannot exceed the woe of the aftermath.

~Led Zeppelin

Rick, Shane, Harper, Glenn, T-dog, Dale, Jim, and Morales stand in a circle in the darkness of the camp. The mother's sit around the campfire comforting their crying children, Jacqui exhausted sits with them. Andrea still kneels beside her dead sister in front of the Winnebago. The camp stinks of rotting flesh from the dead walkers lying around camp. "What do we do now?" Glenn asks.

"I say gather up the ones lying around places we need to use." Shane says. "The ones around the campfire, tents, and Winnebago." They nod. "What about Amy?" Dale asks. "Let her deal with it, cope. It hasn't been that long, we can't bury till light anyways." Harper tells Dale. "Burying her is not what I'm concerned about. She was bit. It could be any moment now." Dale tells them none of them wanting to hear it.

"And what about Ed Peletier?" Dale asks. "He never showed up at the Winnebago." The mother's hear their conversation a bit. "Keep your voices down, they've experienced enough already. We don't need to be waving it in their faces." Rick whispers to them roughly.

"We got some work to do we better get to it, if any of us are going to get some shut eye tonight." Daryl speaks up. The small huddled group nods and they break going to the campfire. Harper goes to Carol who is holding a frightened and silent Sophia. "How she doing?" Harper asks.

Carol nods. "She'll be fine thanks to you." Carol smiles wiping a grateful tear off her cheek. "Don't thank me. Thank Daryl there." Harper looks up at the man who isn't expecting what she is saying. "He saved us. We wouldn't be here if it wasn't for him." She tells Carol, but looks at Daryl. Carol looks at him too. "Thank you." Carol says wiping tears from her face.

Daryl looks away not knowing how to deal with a thank you. "Everyone gather around." Shane says to the group surrounding the fire. "We're going to clean up the place a bit and than you guys can head off to your tents. Get a nights rest we have a lot of work to do tomorrow." Everyone nods. "Harper could you watch Sophia for a minute?" Carol asks. "I'm going to get a blanket from my tent. It's cold." Harper nods and takes the little girl in her arms. Sophia grasps for her mother. "Mommy no! Please don't go!"

"I'm only going over there." Carol points to a tent at the edge of camp. "Harper's got you." Harper looks to the little girl and smiles. "You wanna hear about other kinds of squirrels?" Harper looks at her Sophia smiles and nods sheepishly. "Could you talk about the flying kind?!" Carol smiles and walks away. Daryl watches Harper talk about squirrels to the little girl. He smiles as Harper and Sophia giggle and talk even with dead bodies lying five feet away. Harper amazes him at the way she can be positive even in the worst of times even when he knows she doesn't feel like that inside.

"OH GOD!" Carol comes running from her tent and kneels sobbing. "OH GOD ED!" She than pukes. The women run to her side and the men go to the tent that is rustling. Sophia hugs her mother and cries with her not knowing why they're even crying. Harper kneels by Carol rubbing her back when she looks at the men who get a disgusted look on their faces. Glenn kneels over and barfs at the sight as well. Daryl paces not looking at the tent. "Daryl?" Harper looks at him in question knowing it is bad if he can't handle it. He shakes his head and curiosity kills her.

Harper leaves Carol's side for the tent. "Harper no." Daryl says trying to stop her but she reaches it anyways. Harper sees what's inside. A lone woman walker sits feasting herself in a pile of blood and guts at the bottom of the tent that used to belong to Ed Peletier. Harper barely recognizes the bloody heap of the man. She breathes heavily at the sight her stomach getting weak. She starts crying never before seeing such a horrendous scene as the small blue blood spattered tent sitting in front of her. She wants desperately to cry into someone to stop herself from losing her stomach.

A hand rests on her shoulder and she turns quickly burying her face in the man that the hand belonged to's chest. She grabs onto his shirt in a death grip crying, not being able to believe the world had gotten that bad. They hear a gun echo as Rick puts a bullet into the walker's skull. She tightens her grip on the man in the group. She steals his warmth in the cold night. She feels a hand rest on the back of her head pulling her into the embrace more. "Mommy what's wrong?!" Harper hears Sophia's sweet little voice. Harper releases his grip and looks up to see Daryl staring at her.

She quickly takes her hands off him and wipes her face. "You ok?" He asks concerned. "Yea, yea." She tells him quickly a bit embarrassed at the way she reacted. "Sophia no!" Carol cries out. Harper turns around seeing Sophia run from her mother for the tent. Harper meets the little girl before she gets there. She kneels down holding the little girls arms so she couldn't move. "It's my daddy, isn't it?" Sophia says small tears falling from her eyes. Harper looks at the little girl not knowing what to say. A tear falls down Harper's cheek as she brushes Sophia's hair out of her solemn face. Sophia starts sobbing and Harper pulls her in. The little girl rests her head on Harper's shoulder that slowly becomes soaked with tears. "I'm so, so sorry." She whispers into little Sophia's ear. Everyone stands and watches Harper as she holds the little girl.

.o.o.

Harper sits quietly by the fire cold, exhausted, covered in blood, and alone in the dark. They had finished getting the bodies in a general area and had got the bodies out of the Peletier's tent. Only a few things were salvageable of Sophia's and Carol's the rest soaked in guts and brain matter. The tent was tossed out so Harper let Carol and Sophia take her tent for the night. She sits depressed staring at her last cigarette whether she should smoke it or not. She contemplates the decision, but with one look behind her at Andrea who is still hovering over her sister not talking, she inevitably decides to light the cigarette.

She pulls out a match courtesy of Wayne Dunlap and lights the pathetic smashed cigarette, before sticking it to her lips. She leans back in the chair relaxing not realizing how soar and tired she actually was until that point. Even with her worn out soul she can't sleep with all that's happened. She sits and wonders how many people are awake as well staring at the roofs of their tents.

She puffs her cigarette sighing at the shape the world had gotten in when she hears footsteps. She grabs the end of her gun sticking out of her belt, having reloaded it. She waits to see what the footsteps are coming from. She sees Daryl walk to the campfire. He makes no eye contact with her and sits in one of the chairs staring at the fire. "Couldn't sleep?" She asks him. He looks at her. "Don't really sleep much, come out here to think, but now you're intruding on that aren't you." He says annoyed. "Sorry about earlier." She tells him recalling the way she reacted at the sight of Ed's massacre.

"Sorry about what?" He asks looking over at her. "The way I acted over the tent." He shakes his head. "Shoulda listened to me. Nobody needed to see that. Especially his wife even if he was a piece of shit." Daryl says. "Sorry about Merle." She looks at Daryl and he looks at her. "I know how you feel, my brother Sam was shot in front of me by the army. Wasn't even infected, but they shot him anyways." Daryl looks at her.

"Don't know how that relates to me. My brother's alive." Daryl says harshly, Harper looks down. "Yea I suppose he is." Harper stares at the campfire and Daryl looks at her gloom face over the topic. "Sorry." Daryl says, Harper looks at him. "About your brother I mean. Was he good?" Daryl asks. Harper stares at him confused. "Good at what?" Daryl looks down at the fire than back at her. "I don't know being a brother?" He says. Harper feels for him as she gets a sense from him that Merle probably wasn't the best big brother.

"Yea I guess." She said looking down. "He was older than me by about six years. He beat me to make me tough so I could protect myself so he didn't have to do it all the time, as he called it. He was always so protective of me even till the end. Guess it's the whole I was his little sister thing. Every time I got a guy around Sam would beat them to hell until eventually guys just stopped coming around. Guess he was more of a guard dog than a big brother, but he was blood that's what mattered." She looked at Daryl who was listening intently. "Guess that's how I dealt with Merle so easily. He reminded me a lot of Sam."

"Yea Merle's famous quote was "Gonna make a man of you Darylena!" Daryl says in his best Merle impersonation. Harper chuckles a little at Daryl's mocking of Merle. "You know for an asshole… you aren't that bad." She tells him smiling taking a puff of her cigarette, she offers it to Daryl, but he refuses. "Don't smoke, my mom used to I hate it." He says looking upset. "Didn't take you as a smoker." Harper laughs. "Well don't get used to it. Quitting after this one. It's my last one out of the pack." She tells him. "Been only smoking them in times of stress, this night kind of called for one." She takes another puff.

"Long damn day." Daryl says looking at the fire poking it with a stick. "Yea no kidding." She flicks the cigarette in the fire. "Good riddance." They sit in the silence hearing nothing, but crickets. Harper starts to shiver as she gets cold. She rubs her hands together the ripped women's flannel no longer providing her much warmth. Daryl looks at her shivering body.

"You cold?" He asks looking at her. She nods. "That was a stupid question." She smiles at him. He gets up and looks around the fire. His eyes lock on a plaid blanket left on one of the lawn chairs. He grabs it and walks it to her. "Here this outta do." She takes it. "Thank you."

All of a sudden they hear rustling coming from Harper's former tent. It zips open and two little feet dressed in dirt covered white socks appear. Sophia steps out of the small tent, in pink and blue pj's rubbing her eyes looking at them. "Sophia?" Harper looks at her concerned. The little girl moans and whimpers. "I had a dream." Harper holds out her arms waving Sophia to her.

The little girl whimpers as she goes to Harper. "I was in the woods… and—and there were walkers—and- and they were—were chasing me and—and I heard mommy, but-but I—I couldn't find her!" Sophia blubbers hugging Harper. Harper sets the little girl in her lap wrapping her with the blanket. Sophia rests her head on Harper's shoulder as Harper talks to her to calm her down.

"It's ok… Shh-shh, you don't have to worry. We won't let walkers get you." Harper looks at Daryl and so does Sophia wanting to hear some reassurance also from him too. He nods. "She's right don't you worry." Daryl says to the little girl not knowing quite what to say. Harper smiles at him to reassure him he did say the right thing. Sophia looks at Harper. "You promise?" Harper looks into Sophia's scared little eyes. "I promise."

Sophia doesn't look totally convinced. "You pinky promise?" Sophia holds her pinky out. Harper wraps her pinky around the girl's tiny frail pinky finger. "I pinky promise." Harper says smiling. "So does Daryl." Harper turns her head smiling at him. His eyes get big as the little girl raises her pinky towards him. "Promise." Daryl says wrapping his pinky with the tiny girl's.

Sophia content with their promises rests her sleepy head on Harper's shoulder. Sleep wins the battle on the little girl. "You're really good with her." Daryl says nodding towards the little girl asleep on Harper's lap. "Yea I guess. Had to do community service one time taking care of a mother and child refuge, kinda stuck with me I guess." Harper tells him in a low voice careful not to wake the sleeping child. "Looks like it Daryl says pointing at Sophia. "Tough little girl she's been through a lot." Daryl says.

"Yea she has." Harper says. "I feel for her. This is no place to grow up. She'll never get to experience what we did growing up." Harper says mad at the world for messing with children. They sit in silence for a long time as Harper's eyes become heavy. "Maybe we should get her back in the tent." Harper looks at Daryl who nods agreeing. Daryl walks over to her chair and takes a hold of Sophia.

Sophia moves a bit from being disturbed and switches her arms from Harper's shoulders to Daryl's. Daryl becomes uncomfortable by the simple gesture of the sleeping child. Harper gets up making sure Sophia is secure in Daryl's strong arms. Seeing that he's got her wrapped tight and ready to carry her to bed puts a smile on Harper's face. Harper rubs Sophia's back as she walks with Daryl to the tent. Harper zips it open. In a cot on the left side Carol is sound asleep while the one on the right is empty. Harper backs away from the tent to give room for Daryl to place Sophia inside on her cot.

Harper watches Daryl softly lay the small human on the cot and wrap her with the plaid blanket. Sophia rolls over facing away from him and continues to sleep. Harper smiles at the sight of the hot headed redneck being so gentle for once. Daryl steps out. "Better be getting some sleep got work tomorrow." Daryl says quickly walking away from Harper and heading into a tent on the edge of camp. Harper makes her way to the Winnebago where Dale said she could sleep for the night.

Harper sighs passing Andrea and dead lifeless Amy. She opens the RV door and heads inside. Dale sits putting boots on. "Hey." She says to him. "Going to go take a watch can't get much sleep." Dale tells her before leaving her alone in the RV. Harper makes her way to the back finding her pack that she moved next to one of the RV couches. She takes out a new tank top and some light sweatpants to get comfortable. She locks the RV door as she changes so no one would come in. Once in her new clothes she tosses the ripped blood stained ones to the side and makes her way to the soft RV Couch/bed. Almost immediately as Harper lies down she goes into a deep sleep.

.o.o.

Harper awakes on the RV couch the light of late morning shining upon her. She rushes getting up knowing she's slept in. She quickly puts on some work jeans and a new whit loose v-neck. She quickly laces Wayne's boots and heads to the RV door. She opens the door rubbing her eyes as the sun blinds her when all of a sudden she hears shouts from Jacqui. "A walker got him! A walker bit Jim!"

Harper rests her hand on the gun in her belt as she watches a frightened Jim being surrounded by the group. Daryl marches up with a pick axe on his shoulder pointing at Jim. "Show it to us! Show it to us!" Jim grabs a shovel to protect himself from the closing in group. The group starts shouting at him to drop the shovel and show them. Daryl looks at T-dog behind Jim. "Grab him!" He yells to T-dog. Harper aims her gun at Jim in case he does something stupid while T-dog comes up behind him and grabs him making him drop the shovel. Harper draws near with her gun as Daryl lifts up Jim's shirt revealing a nasty bite wound. "I'm okay!" Jim whispers repeatedly as Daryl and T-dog let him go.

T-dog and Daryl stand back in horror like they had just been infected by touching him. Harper lowers her gun and runs her hands through her hair her hair sighing. The world has gotten this bad and it's not going to let up just, because the group is stressed and mourning. This world is going to continue to take lives even if they have already lost enough. The group stands away from him putting their heads down; knowing the loss of this man was imminent.

Shane goes to Jim. "Jim man, why don't you go sit by the RV so we can have a talk okay?" Shane says putting a hand on Jim's shoulder. "I'm okay." Jim tells him. "I know that man and we gotta make sure you stay that way. Just go have a seat." He pats Jim on the back and Jim sits behind the old Winnebago. Harper shakes her head and Dale goes and pats her on the back.

"One hell of a way to start the morning. How come you didn't wake me up? Half the works done!" She says to him seeing the piles of bodies gathered up, the smell of burning walkers lingering in the air. "We knew you would be too stubborn to rest so we decided not to bother you." Harper looks angry. "That's crap you guys needed help." Dale pats her on the back. "Don't worry there's digging to be done." Harper looks puzzled. "Thought we were burning. Taking no chances." Dale looks at her than points to Glenn. "Glenn brought up a good point; we're going to bury our own, burn the rest."

"Gather round guys!" Shane orders the group. "Ready to play the jury?" Dale asks Harper patting her on the back smiling. The group gathers around to hear what Shane had to say and come to a decision on Jim. "We gotta make plans. What do we do? We got Jim over there and Andrea guarding Amy like a prison guard." Shane tells them looking for a solution in the group's faces. Harper looks at Andrea who is still kneeling by her sister in the same position she was in the night before.

"I say we put a pick axe in his and the dead girl's head and be done with it." Daryl says in a rough serious voice. Harper stares at him in disbelief. Wondering why the compassion and kindness he showed the night before washed away. "Is that what you'd want if it were you?" Harper asks angry. "Yea and I'd thank you while you did it." The young red neck glared into her eyes. "I hate to say it, never thought I would, but maybe Daryl's right." Harper jumps in, infuriated at the men's ideas. "Jims not a monster!"

Rick comes in. "Or some rabid dog." Dale looks frustrated. "I'm not suggesting—"Rick interrupts Dale. "He's a sick man. We start down that road where do we draw the line?" Daryl chimes his two cents in as Harper gets angry at his ongoing idea to kill Jim. "The line's pretty clear. Zero tolerance for walkers, or them to be." Rick brings up the idea to find a cure at the CDC. Shane quickly knocks it down and they banter. Rick wanting to go to the CDC for a cure and Shane wanting to go to the army base, Fort Binning, 100 miles in the opposite direction.

Harper watches Daryl closely as his slowly changes and thinks of something while the two men argue. She watches him look back at Jim than back at the men. He glances at Harper than back to the men. "You go looking for aspirin. Do what you need to do." Daryl charges at Jim with the pick axe in his hands. "Someone needs to have some balls and take care of this damn problem!" Harper reaches for her gun, but Rick has already beat her to it. Rick clicks the gun at the back of Daryl's head making Daryl freeze. "Hey. Hey. Hey." Rick says Daryl glaring at Jim with his pick axe still raised. "We don't kill the living!"

Daryl lowers the pick axe looking back at Rick. "That's funny coming from a guy that just put a gun to my head." Shane guards Jim as Harper walks up to Daryl she grabs the pick axe away from him. "Hey!" Daryl says, but stopping when he notices the gun still pointed to his head. "I'll be relieving you of your duties." Harper says with the pick axe in her hands. Daryl glares at her, shooting her daggers. Daryl walks away angry and Shane and Rick escort Jim "Some place safe" and away from the bipolar Dixon brother.

Harper walks to Carol nearby as she sees Dale head to Andrea's side. "How is Sophia holding up?" Carol shrugs meekly looking at a mangled dead body that was once Ed Peletier. Carol's eyes get glassy. "As good as she can be I guess." Carol says wiping her eye of a stray tear. "She's with Carl and the other children playing in Lori's tent. Didn't want them seeing all this you know?" Harper nods. "I'm real sorry about Ed and what you had to see." Carol looks up at her wiping another tear. "I'm sorry too." Carol says sheepishly through tears as Harper hugs her.

"Why don't you go sit somewhere Carol. I gotta take care of something." Harper says looking at Ed's body. Carol cries knowing what she is about to do and walks away. Harper walks towards his body. Daryl watches her lugging the heavy pick axe. Daryl stops her half way there and holds out his hands. "Give me the pick axe." Daryl orders her. "And what if I say no?" She tells him.

"I know you can't take care of Ed over there, give it." Daryl repeats reaching for the pick. Harper pulls it away. "You don't know what I can take care of! Now step aside." She says only to hear a quiet voice speak up. "I'll do it."

The two turn to see Carol Peletier standing with her hands aimed towards the pick axe. "Carol—" Harper begins to say only to be interrupted by Carol's abuse shaken voice. "He's my husband." Carol says taking the pick axe away from Harper's grasp. Daryl and Harper watch Carol as she drags the pick to Ed's body. She stands looking at the mangled corpse tears going down her face, before her frail arms raise the pick over her head. She swiftly swings it down smashing Ed's skull. Harper as does Daryl expects for her to walk away, but she doesn't.

Carol again and again continues to smash her husband's head in with angry sobs. Even Daryl stands back in shock and disturb. Carol finally stops with the hits, sobbing. Harper carefully and gently puts a hand on the emotional woman's back. "Carol? Why don't you go to Sophia, ok?" Harper tells her lightly taking the pick axe away. Carol walks away in tears. Harper turns around to see Daryl still disturbed. She hands him the pick axe. "Better get to work."

She looks down and stares at Ed's disgusting body bringing back the feeling of barf. "Nasty bastard." Daryl says sticking the axe in Ed's head. "Got what he deserved." Harper looks at him with anger. "You know you may have been nice last night, but today you're being a real prick when people need nice. We don't need your asshole remarks or random temper tantrums. Got it?!" Harper tells him getting in his face not afraid of him. He puts a finger in her face about to say something when out of the corner of their eye; they see a dead Amy's body twitching.

"Don't pull anything." Harper whispers to him holding the gun on her belt as Amy rises towards Andrea. Andrea with tears says her last goodbyes to Amy before gently squeezing the trigger of her gun sending a bullet through young Amy's head, making her lifeless again.

"God damn! Can this camp get any more positive?" Harper says sarcastically to Daryl before walking away, leaving Daryl feeling like a piece of shit. She grabs a shovel that Jim once used as a weapon and heads to Shane's jeep as he calls for people to come help dig. Rick and her load into the jeep as Daryl shouts out. "Wait!" He heads to the jeep. "Need help loading bodies into the truck." Rick and Shane look at Harper. "You got to be kidding me!" Harper whispers getting out of the jeep to help the Dixon she is currently wanting nothing to do with.

"Couldn't stay away could you?" She says to Daryl handing the shovel off to Rick as the jeep drives away. "Not lugging these bodies by myself! If I had it my way we would be burning them." Harper looks at him annoyed. "Thank go we don't have it your way then." She says bumping into his shoulder violently making her way to the pile of bodies. "Go get your truck, we don't got all day." She orders him.

Daryl reluctantly goes and starts the truck backing up the tail gate to the rounded up bodies. Harper walks to Ed's body first and takes a big long sigh knowing the work to come. "Daryl! Come give me a hand!" She shouts to him as he steps out of his brother's pick up. "Oh great this bastard." He says as he sees the body she has chosen to put in the back first. She grabs Ed's feet. "Come on." She says to Daryl who looks hesitant. "You ain't afraid of a little blood are you?" She says teasing him as he grunts pulling on Ed's arms.

"On 1...2…3!" They say as they quickly pick up Ed's body. As they do so brain matter and what's left of Ed's insides spill on to the ground. They get him in the tailgate and Harper immediately rushes to the side of the truck vomiting. Daryl smirks. "What's a matter? Ain't afraid of a little blood are you?" He mocks her as she wipes vomit from her mouth. "Shut up!" She tells him. They move on to the other bodies testing each others stomach's by saying gross stuff to try and make the other puke. Daryl succeeds twice at making her puke, but she doesn't succeed once only making him slightly cringe and walk away to take a breath. In the end they end up laughing as they throw the last body into the full truck bed.

As Daryl goes to start up the truck he is stopped. Dale and Andrea lugging a body wrapped in sheets come to the truck. "Wait!" Andrea says crying holding onto the body. Harper sees light blonde hair sticking out of the sheets and knows its Amy. The mood she had previously been in washes away. Andrea crying helps Dale load the young girl's body with the rest. Andrea steps down Dale putting a hand on her back as she breathes heavy. He looks back at Harper. "We'll be down shortly. Daryl and Harper in an awkward silence get into Merle's abandoned truck. Daryl starts it and they drive silently to the burial site.

Once at the burial site, Daryl backs the pick up to holes Rick and Shane just got done digging. Daryl gets out following Harper. "Still think it's a mistake not burning these bodies." Daryl says to Rick and Shane. Harper glares at him as she sees the rest of the group walking up the path to the graves. "It's what we said we'd do right? Burn em' all, wasn't that the idea?"

Harper looks at him annoyed. "At first." She tells him. "The Chinaman gets all emotional, says it's not the thing to do, we just follow him along? These people need to know who the hell's in charge here, what the rules are." Daryl says looking at Rick who steps out of a hole.

"There are no rules." Rick tells Daryl. Lori steps up. "Well, that's a problem. We haven't had one minute to hold onto anything of our old selves. We need time to mourn and we need to bury our dead. It's what people do." Daryl steps down off his soap box seeing Lori's eyes get glassy with tears.

"Everyone gather around!" Rick calls to the group standing before him. "Now I know this has been a long day and a lot has happened, but now it the time to pull together not apart." Rick says glancing at Daryl as what he had just stated was for his ears. "We've come a long way. We can't give up now. Let's take a moment to remember the ones who weren't as lucky as us to make it this far."

The group bows their heads. Some sniffles and tears fill the air around them. After the moment of silence Andrea and Dale make their way to the truck pulling Amy's body out. They carry her silently to her designated hole and lower her down slowly, Andrea letting out weak cries and tears as she parts with her sister. The children cry into their mother's stomachs losing their dear friend Amy.

Harper stands in between what's left of the Peletier family and Daryl. Harper sticks a hand on a sobbing Carol's back as Rick and Shane lower Ed's body, now wrapped in sheets, into the ground. Carol blinds Sophia from the sight by hugging her as the little girl cries. Slowly all the bodies are lowered into the ground and buried. Harper wipes away a few stray tears before going and sitting in Merle's truck. Daryl gets in letting out a sigh. "Damn." He whispers sadly. "Yea Damn." Harper says as the truck makes a U-turn back towards camp.

The truck stops on the path at the edge of camp, Harper and Daryl get out. Harper looks at him and than walks away not saying anything. Carol walks to Harper her face marked with dried tears from earlier. "Was gonna check on Jim, you wanna come? Could use company." Carol asks in a sheepish voice. "Yea sure why not." Harper says as the two women head to the old Winnebago.

Once in the RV they make their way to the back seeing a pale feverish Jim laying on one of the couches. Harper takes a seat on the one opposite of him as Carol sits next to him holding a glass to his lips so he can take a drink of the water inside. He empties the glass. "How you hold'n up?" Harper asks him concerned. Carol goes to the front of the RV and gets a bowl filling it in the sink. "I'm ok." Jim says as he did before in a delirious state. Harper shakes her head knowing the facts of what is happening, having seen it before.

Carol comes back with a wet rag and the bowl gently patting Jim's forehead to keep the fever down. They hear the RV door open and shut as Lori and Rick enter. Rick looks to Harper and she shakes her head and looks back at Jim with sympathy. Carol turns and looks at Rick. "His fever has gotten worse." Carol informs them taking the rag away from his head.

"You need anything?" Lori asks him smiling. Jim blinks his eyes delirious. "Uhh water I-I could use more water." Jim tells her. "I'll get some." Lori looks at Harper and Carol. "Carol, Harper, come help me." Lori says as an excuse to let Rick be alone with Jim. Lori takes Carol's hand and they leave the RV.

Once out of the RV Lori is stopped by Shane and Harper walks away with Carol knowing they have something to talk about. Ever since she met Lori and Shane they always acted weird around each other. She sees Daryl throwing the last of the walker bodies into the fire. She pats on Carol's back. "Why don't you go to Sophia, I've got some work to do."

"You sure?" Carol asks looking over at the fire and the redneck. "Yea I'm sure. I'll join you guys in a bit." Harper tells her. Carol walks away and heads towards the children sitting around the real fire pit that is not roasting walkers. Harper on the other hand walks away towards Daryl Dixon, who is sweating in the hot Georgia heat and the fire of walkers close to him.

As she walks to Daryl she sees Shane and Rick make their way into the woods and Lori entering the RV with a glass of water. Harper gets to the pit not saying a word to Daryl. She only starts working. She grabs the feet and he grabs the arms of a severely rotting corpse. Another "1…2…3!" and the walker's body makes its way into the fire. "So why do I always get the arms and you the feet?" Daryl asks her out of breath and going to start on the next body. "Cause…" Harper tells him grabbing the feet. She looks up at him smiling. "It's easier."

The walker flies into the fire. Daryl laughs a bit. "Well ain't you logical?" Daryl says as they load another body. "Big word for you ain't it?" Harper laughs, Daryl smirks as they lift the last body in. "So what's your deal?" Daryl says looking at her panting. "My deal?" She asks confused. "Yea your deal… you're like this one minute than a complete pain in my ass the next." He tells her sitting down on a log and wiping his forehead of sweat with a dirty red rag. "Same could be said about you." She says smirking and than walking away, leaving Daryl without words or a come back once again.

She walks towards the rest of the group, but Dale stops her on the way. "You mind coming with me? Rick and Shane went out on a patrol, but the group is anxious needing answers and they're the only ones who can give them." Harper looks at what's left of the group sitting in a circle looking at her and Dale. She nods. "Lets go get us some officers." She says smiling.

.o.o.

Harper and Dale return with the group's alpha dogs just having seen Shane with Rick in his sights, brushing it off as he just mistaken Rick for a walker. Harper sensed something more than just an accident of having Rick in his sights and she could tell so did Dale. So far Harper's impression of Shane wasn't to great and this added to it.

As the four walk back up to the group Harper finds herself watching Daryl. Once she realizes what she is doing, she quickly shakes her head and turns to the conversation being held. Shane relays the news that they're going to be leaving first thing in the morning for the CDC.

After the long depressing day Harper finds herself sitting at the fire at night for the last time. The camp that she had called home for the last three days would soon be behind her. Once again she hears footsteps as she had the night before. Daryl comes out. "Damn it's you again." Daryl says rubbing his eyes with a blanket wrapped around him.

"Yea well gotta camp out here for the night. Jim's got the RV and Carol and Soph got my tent still." Daryl sits down noticing her shivering again. She only wears a black tank top and jeans stained with gore. "Again with no blanket!" He tells her walking up and draping his blanket around her shoulders. "Don't need anybody getting a cold." Daryl says walking away. "Hey! Where you going?" Harper asks him confused on why he would leave like that. "Going back to my tent! What are you my mother now?" He says continuing to walk.

Harper sighs secretly wanting someone to fill the lonely silence. She wraps the blanket around her tight and curling into a ball. She lays her head on the arm of the chair and takes in the warmth of the blanket. She can smell Daryl's scent on it and to her surprise it comforts her as she closes her eyes for the night.

.o.o.

"Harper! Harper! Wake up!" Harper awakes to see Sophia holding a picture proudly and excited. "Look! Look!" Sophia points to the drawing. Harper rubs her eyes and looks at it. "It's you and a flying squirrel! And mommy's here and-and that's me!" Harper smiles at the little girl's drawing as Carol walks up. Carol smiles at Sophia. "Why don't you go put that with your pack sweetheart?" Sophia looks at her knitting her eyebrows. "It's for Harper." Sophia hands her the drawing smiling. "SOPHIA COME ON!" Harper hears Carl yell and Sophia goes running.

Harper rubs he head and looks at Carol smiling. Carol hands Harper her pack and Abuela's camera. "I packed your things and the tents been took down." Harper looks at her. "You didn't have to—"Carol interrupts her. "You were sleep'n with all you've done for us we didn't want to wake you." Harper looks at her. "Thanks." Sophia and Carl run by them chasing each other laughing. Carol smiles at her daughter. "Sorry she woke you." Carol says sheepishly.

"Don't be. It was a hell of a lot better than yesterday."

Carol smiles. Harper shrugs Daryl's blanket off and goes to get up. Carol sees the blanket. "Is that Daryl's?" Carol asks alarmed. Harper picks it up folding it. "Yea probably need to be giving it back to him." Carol stands in shock as Harper walks away not thinking anything of it. With her pack and camera wrapped around her she sets out to find Daryl, noticing the packed up camp along the way.

She sees Daryl cursing at a bag trying to fit his tent in it. "Come on god damn it! FIT!" He yells kicking it. "Try sweet talking it." She says walking up smirking. "Might help." She tells him handing him the blanket. "Here's your blanket." Daryl scoffs. "You wait till I got everything packed." Daryl takes the blanket away and throws it on the ground continuing to curse at the tent bag and kick it. "Here!" She sits her things down and heads to the tent.

Daryl stops cursing and watches her pull things out. "You got em in there wrong." She tells him. "Yea well hurry up." Daryl says slightly embarrassed as she zips the pack up with no problems. "What did I tell you about patience?" She says handing him the bag.

They walk together towards the rally of cars and the group. "Ok everybody! Listen up!" Shane gathers them around and gives them standard instructions about being on the road. "Any questions?" He says after finishing the tutorial. Morales speaks up. "Uhh we-we're not going." He speaks for his family. The group stares at him in disbelief. "We have family in Birmingham. We want to be with our people." His wife says with a quiver in her voice.

Their little girl cries into Miranda not wanting to leave her friends, Carl and Sophia. Shane warns them of the dangers of being on their own, but Morales has made his choice. Shane and Rick walk up and hand him a gun and ammo. Daryl scoffs not agreeing with the choice to give up another gun. Harper glares at him and whispers. "Nice Daryl." He looks at her than paces angry.

"Thank you all for everything." Miranda says staring to cry as Lori walks up and hugs her. The men shake hands with Morales as Lori leans down and kisses both the children that are leaving on the forehead. Sophia and Eliza hug sobbing not wanting to part. The women hug Miranda. Harper watches in sympathy for Sophia as Eliza hands Sophia her doll giving it to her. Sophia sobs and latches onto Carol.

The group watches as Morales and his family get into their car. Shane looks at the crying group and gets them moving. "What makes you think our odds are any better? Come on! Let's go!" They all start pilling into their cars they will be making their journey in. Shane in his jeep. The Grimes, Carol, and a crying Sophia into Carol's Cherokee. Daryl in Merle's truck hulling a motorcycle in the back. The rest climb into the RV. Harper slowly walks to Daryl's truck to go and ask for a ride. Not having anywhere else to turn. Daryl steps out looking at her almost waiting for her to get in when she hears Glenn shouting from the RV. "Harper you coming!?"

Harper looks at Daryl who is looking back at her, as she answers Glenn. "Yea I'm coming!"

Harper turns around to the RV and Daryl slams his door. She walks in and looks for a seat. Jacqui is in the back helping Jim, Andrea sits at the table, and Glenn and Dale sit up front. Harper reluctantly sits in front of a depressing Andrea as the caravan pulls out of the abandoned and empty campsite.

With the Winnebago in the front the caravan makes its long journey to the CDC of Atlanta, Georgia. The silent ride with the moans and groaning of Jim is agonizing for Harper making her almost want to shoot herself when they finally stop with smoke rising from the RV. The caravan piles out of their cars to see what's the matter. Dale tells them all about the bad shape of the radiator hose.

Shane and T-dog go out down the road to look for something to fix it with while everybody else stays behind. Harper walks up to Glenn who is leaning on the RV. She watches him watch Lori and Rick kiss each other. He sighs sadly. "Man I miss that, I-I mean not that I got that much, but it would have been nice to have more of it before the world did what it did." Harper puts a hand on his shoulder. "Don't feel to down just, because the world ended doesn't mean love did."

She smiles at Glenn and he smiles back as the RV door swings open. "Y'all it's Jim! It's bad! I don't think he can take anymore." Rick sighs and goes into the RV. Harper sighs and looks at Daryl. Glenn sees who she is looking at and sighs in disappointment as well. She pats his shoulder than walks to Daryl. "So this is the moment you say "I told you so." Right? Jim's gonna die ain't he?" Harper sighs looking at him. "Yep and now we got another time bomb sitting where we eat and sleep. So hell yea I told you so." Daryl says walking towards the truck. Harper follows him.

"What are you doing?!" She asks him as he pulls his crossbow out of the cab. "Just in case the bomb goes off." Harper looks at him knowing he's right, but not wanting to admit it. She than looks up at the motorcycle. "A Triumph Bonneville 650… 71 that's a classic. Good bike." He looks at her in shock. "What do you know about bikes?" Daryl asks.

"Probably more than you… grew up in a bike shop. My dad used to sell parts and bikes to biker gangs back in the day. To bad it wasn't all legal. That's how he landed in bars around the same time as Sam." Harper stands mesmerized by the bike. "He lost the shop because of it. I haven't been on a motorcycle since than, unless it was some moron trying to impress me and call me his girl because I was on the back of his bike." Daryl stands still in shock, but in sympathy all the same knowing how Merle used to drag around girl's on the back of that same bike showing them and the bike off.

All of a sudden they see Shane and T pull up. Shane gets out handing to Dale what he needs to fix the Winnebago. Rick at the same time steps out of the RV. "Guys!" He gathers the group to tell them what the news is. Rick tells them the decision, Jim wants to be left behind.

.o.o.

After another group discussion they agree to give Jim what he wants. Shane and Rick carry Jim to a tree as he cries in pain. The group individually goes up to him and says good byes with tears. Harper's turn comes. She kneels next to him. "I'm sorry the world got so shitty." He looks at her. "I'm sorry too." She walks away past Daryl who only nods to Jim and than proceeds to follow her. She walks towards the RV, but Daryl stops her. "Hey wait. You wanna ride?"

He looks at her. "I know how damn glum it's going to be in there and we still gotta bit to go." She looks at him as if he read her mind. "Thanks." She says with a sigh of relief. Daryl turns toward his truck and she goes to follow him. Glenn pops his head out of the RV window. "Harper?" He wonders why she's not getting in. "Hitching a ride." She nods towards Daryl. Glenn looks at her in disbelief. "What?!" Harper walks heading to the truck. "Don't wait up!" She shouts to Glenn. She opens up the truck door and gets in, Daryl waiting on her. "You ready?" He asks her as she gets her pack situated. She nods and the caravan slowly drives watching Jim fade away in the distance. "Half the group gone in less than two days. Makes you wonder how long we really got." She says shaking her head staring out the window.

"Talking about me being positive damn… how about you try it." Daryl tells her. She looks at him than back out the window. "We gotta protect these people. You know that right?" Daryl looks at her. "When did "we" pop into the equation?" He says. She looks at him annoyed. "These people die, Daryl, they're the only ones we got. Why don't you let that process and cherish them for once." Daryl looks at her. "You don't know what it's like to be out there alone, does some things to you, cherish it. By the looks of today if that CDC isn't up and running I don't know how long we'll last."

Daryl rolls down his window. "Here let me roll the window down so maybe the cab can get aired out. Your attitude smells like shit." She looks at him and starts laughing. He chuckles a bit. Harper rolls down her window and looks at him. The wind blows through her long brown hair making it fly through the opened window and cab. She rest her head on her elbow and before long Daryl watches as her eyes clothes.

Daryl watches her every so often. The wind blowing through her hair as she sleeps silently makes her look surreal and peaceful. Daryl watches the sun beam on her light sun kissed skin and thinks to himself that "_All of the girls that Merle showed off on his bike didn't amount to this one sleeping girl he had resting in his cab." _He didn't figure that Merle would ever return and if he did Daryl would want to show this girl. What puzzled Daryl the most was how could this mystery girl be so pretty and peaceful, but act like she does and deals with things like she does? Daryl watches her intently again as she slowly opens her eyes.

Her gaze meets him and she smiles before looking out the windshield and shouting "Daryl!" Daryl stops quickly almost running into the back of the Cherokee. "What the hell?! Keep your eyes on the damn road!" She yells at him than looks out the opened window to see a large CDC building standing before them.

The group makes their ways slowly out off their cars towards the CDC. Harper readies her bat in case of walkers. Daryl looks at her. "So got a name yet?" Daryl asks her looking at the old slugger. "Yea." She says looking at him smirking. "How's Darlene?" She chuckles and walks ahead toward the CDC keeping stand around Carol and Sophia.

There are dead bodies everywhere making the ones in the group with weaker stomachs cough. The sun starts to hide under the horizon. They finally reach the building but see no signs of life only closed shuttered doors. "There's nobody here." Harper tells Rick. "Than why are these shutters down?" Rick asks not wanting to lose hope. The group starts to panic as walkers start to moan in the distance. "WALKERS!" Daryl shouts shooting a nearby one with an arrow. Sophia and Carl start to sob.

"Let's move!" Daryl says. "He made a call!" Shane says trying to get them to calm down. "WELL IT WAS THE WRONG DAMN CALL!" Daryl shouts charging Shane only to be stopped by Harper's fiery blue eyes as she puts a hand on his chest. "ENOUGH!" She yells at Daryl. The group panics and loads Rick's ears with hopelessness and needing answers. Rick still focuses on the doors. The kids sob adding to the pressure as walkers draw near. "Let's go!" Shane finally comes to a conclusion as no plans fall from Rick's mouth. The group starts towards the cars but Rick stops them.

"THE CAMERA! It moved!" They turn to Rick who won't budge. Daryl pulls on Harper's arm to get her to come, but she shrugs him off paying attention to Rick. "You imagined it!" Dale tells him. Rick runs to the door and starts pounding on it. Rick shouts to a person who doesn't exist Shane trying to pull him away.

Shane finally has to practically drag Rick away as he starts to shout "YOU'RE KILLING US!" To the door. The group starts to run and with one good tug on her arm Daryl gets her to run to. Than all of a sudden a white light shines on them as the shutters and doors open.

.o.o.

TO BE CONTINUED:

_**NEXT CHAPTER MEET DR. JENNER**_


	6. Chapter 6: We're All That's Left

_**SORRY GUYS THAT IT'S BEEN TAKING ME LONGER TO POST NEW CHAPTERS, BUT I'VE BEEN BUSY AND MAKING THE CHAPTERS LONGER. OK SO ANYWAYS THE SECOND HALF OF SEASON 3 STARTS TONIGHT SO THOUGHT I'D GET SEASON 1 FINISHED ALREADY… I REALLY WANT TO START ON SEASON 2 & 3 KNOWING THE RELATIONSHIP DARYL AND HARP ARE GOING TO BUILD INTO AND ALL THE DYNAMICS THESES SEASONS OFFER, SO AS ALWAYS REMEMBER TO REVIEW AND I'LL LET YOU PROCEED.**_

_**LOVE**_

_**J**_

**SEASON 1 EPISODE 6: TS-19**

**CHAPTER 6: We're All That's Left**

-We live as we dream- alone.

~Joseph Conrad

"GET EM' INSIDE!" Harper yells at Rick and Shane as her and Daryl take out a couple walkers that got to close for comfort, Darlene getting some exercise. She stands caving in one corpses head with Darlene when she feels a rough hand pull her away. "COME ON!" Daryl's gravely voice pierces through her ears as she follows him into the white light of the CDC.

Shane holds the door open for them as they make their way inside Daryl pushing Harper along and guarding her back. Dale issues to Shane to close the door and watch for walkers. Harper takes a breath being inside, but pulls out her 45. Cautiously waiting for something to spring out at her. The children's sobbing dies down sensing that they're safe. Glenn looks at her concerned. "You ok? That was close back there!" Glenn says to her. "Yea I'm fine Glenn. Keep your eye open and stay focused." She tells him before the group hears a voice.

"ANYBODY INFECTED?!" A man in clean clothes, combed hair, and carrying an assault rifle pointed at them steps out of the shadows of the stairs to their right. Daryl steps in front of Harper pointing his loaded crossbow at the man on the stairs. Harper didn't know whether this was a protective move by Daryl or whether he just was casually stepping in front of her, but whatever it was, it made her feel safe. "One of our group was. He didn't make it." Rick tells the man on the staircase.

The man asks them what they want and Rick replies with "A chance" and before long the man agrees to let them in with the small admission fee of a blood test. "You have stuff to bring in you do it know! Once this door closes it stays closed!" The man says lowering his rifle. Harper than realizes in her amazement at seeing the CDC she forgot her bag and the camera in the Dixon's truck. "Shit I forgot my stuff in the truck." She tells Daryl heading to the door. "Make it back quick!" Daryl tells her with slight worry in his voice.

Harper follows Shane, Glenn, Rick, and Daryl who volunteer to go out and get their food, ammo, supplies and what's left of their medicine in the RV. Harper makes it to the truck. No walkers can be seen so far, but she knows they're there. She opens the passenger side door of the truck where she had once been sitting and sees her stuff sitting on the floor boards. She sits Darlene down on the seat and rummages trying to round up her stuff quickly. Than she hears a bad sound. Glenn shouts. "HARPER WALKER!" But it's too late.

A walker grabs her hair through the rolled down window of the open truck door and pulls her back. She screams as it grabs her trying to make a meal of the flesh on her neck. She fights it, but in the awkward position she's in, she has no room to get a kill shot on it, luckily neither does it, the room to make one on her. She screams and fights it as her broken fingers scream in pain at the cause of her struggle. "YOU UGLY SON OF A BITCH!" She hears a rough gravelly voice before the walker releases its grip on her and she slides down the door panting and sitting on the ground.

She finds herself in a bit of a shock never having been in a situation quite like that. She hears Glenn's voice. "Is she ok?!" She hears footsteps running. "Please be ok." She hears a gravely voice whisper. Daryl makes his way around the door and kneels to her dropping his crossbow. She doesn't say a word to him. He grabs her arms checking them. "Are you bit?" Daryl brushes long strands of brown hair out of her face so he can see it. She doesn't answer him, his blue eyes grow with fear. "ANSWER ME!" He shakes her shoulders as Rick, Shane, and Glenn make their way to them. Daryl looks at her. "Are you bit?!" He repeats. Glenn looks pale as a ghost. "Is she- is she bit?" He says.

Harper shakes her head coming back to reality. "N—no-no… No I wasn't." She says weak. The men let out sighs of relief. "God damn!" Daryl says pulling her up to a standing position. She shrugs him off, her fingers ring in pain. "I- I'm fine." She says picking up her stuff and grabbing her bat.

"You sure?" Rick asks her. "Yea, let's get out of this shit hole." She marches past the men with her stuff in hand. They stand there staring at her in shock at the quick recovery she just made after just being attacked. "COME ON!" She yells at them. "You think he's the only asshole out here?" She points to the dead walker that attacked her with a knife sticking out of its head. Daryl marches to the walker and takes his knife out of its head smiling. "You heard the woman! Let's go!" Daryl says and they follow her back to the building.

She is greeted by a running Sophia who hugs her waste. "We heard screams?!" Dale says worried. "Harper made a friend outside." Daryl says. "Nothing we couldn't handle." He looks at her and she mouths a "Thank you." Sophia's soft hazel eyes beam up at her. "Are you alright?!" Harper ruffles the little girl's hair. "Yea kiddo. No need to worry anymore." She says looking at the man who had previously held them at gun point.

The man looks at her than goes to the door swiping a card through a slot and speaking into a speaker. "Vi, ceil the main entrance, kill the power up here." He talks into the speaker. "Rick Grimes." Rick introduces himself to the man. "Dr. Edwin Jenner." He replies to Rick looking at the exhausted group.

"Come with me." The man tells them, leading them to an elevator. He swipes his card and it opens. He gets in and the group stands back mesmerized by the functioning elevator. "In." He tells them nervously. Harper gets bad vibes coming off the Dr. as if he is hiding something from them.

The group with no argument piles into the elevator. Harper stands in between Glenn and Daryl, being somewhat closer to the redneck. Sophia stands in front of them by Carl hugging her doll. Jenner stands by the door of the elevator as it goes down waiting for it to stop. Glenn looks over at Harper and Daryl standing next to each other. Daryl staring at the Dr. and Harper staring into space. Harper shifting her weight ends up slightly leaning on Daryl, Glenn sighs sadly and Dale puts a hand on his shoulder.

"Doctors always go around packing heat like that?" Daryl speaks up asking Jenner. "No, but there were plenty left lying around I familiarized myself with it." He looks back at Daryl. "Besides you look harmless enough." Jenner smiles at Carl. "Except for you, I'll have to keep my eye on you." Carl sheepishly smiles and Jenner smiles back, but Harper can see something sad behind his eyes as the elevator doors open up. Jenner leads them down a hallway not saying anything.

"Are we underground?" Carol asks breaking the silence. "Are you claustrophobic?" Jenner asks her continuing to walk. "A little." Carol answers. The doctor sighs. "Try not to think about it."

They enter a large room full of computers and workstations that should have people sitting at them. Jenner shouts out to this mysterious "Vi" again. "Vi, power up the lights in the big room." They look around amazed as lights come on in the room. The group confused wants to know what has been passing through Harper's mind as well, _where is everyone?_

"I'm it. It's just me here." Jenner tells them, but they don't except it. "What about the person you were speaking with?" Lori asks another question in Harpers mind "Vi?" Jenner speaks to VI again. "Vi say hello to our guests... tell them welcome." They all listen as an automated computer voice sounds overhead. "Hello guests, welcome." They all stare around the room in disbelief. "I'm all that's left." He tells them. Harper's hope of a cure washes away. "I'm sorry."

.o.o.

Harper sits in front of Jenner in a room with the group as a cold icy needle enters her vein. Daryl stands near; she looks away not being able to bare seeing a tube fill up with her own blood. "Afraid of a little blood?" Daryl says teasing. She rolls her eyes knowing she will never be able to live it down. She looks at Jenner once he is done. "What's the point? If we were all infected we would be running fevers." She tells him. "I've broke every rule in the book by letting you in here. Let me at least be thorough." He tells her as she gets up.

She feels light headed, but pays no mind to it as she looks at Daryl. "What was it you said about there being no rules?" She smirks, but all of a sudden feeling weak, she loses her balance and Daryl supports her, grabbing her side and shoulder. She latches onto his shoulder as Jacqui runs up and rubs her back. Harper thinks about the last time she had something to eat and recalls her first night at camp eating a stale bag of chips and drinking a bottle of water. That was the last time she had eaten.

"You ok?" Daryl looks into her eyes and she nods. Jenner looks at them. "What's wrong?" Jacqui comforts Harper and looks at Jenner. "She hasn't eaten in days, none of us have." Jacqui says and Daryl recalls that the whole time he has known this girl; he's never seen her eat. He worries not knowing whether she is in starvation mode or not.

.o.o.

After finding out that the group hadn't ate in a long while Jenner makes them a feast and serves them wine. Like the last supper, the group sits around a table in the CDC food court feasting, smiling, and laughing. Dale pours wine out to everybody except for Daryl and Glenn who have their own bottles. Dale looks at Carl and smiles suggesting that Carl should have some like the children in Italy and France do with their suppers.

The group laughs and Lori protests, but the group peer pressure's her into letting him have some. They all laugh including hot headed Daryl as Carl takes the wine glass from Dale eager to try it. The group gets silent as Carl takes a sip, waiting for his reaction. Carl pulls it back fast. "EWW!" The group laughs as Carl's face shrivels up. Lori pats him on the back. "That's my boy."

Shane chuckles telling Carl to stick to soda pop. Daryl chimes in. "Not you Glenn. Keep drinking little man! I want to see how red your face can get!" The group starts up more laughter. Harper looks at Carol and Sophia who sit beside her laughing and enjoying themselves.

Harper takes out her camera and aims it at the mother and daughter. "Carol, Sophia!" Harper gets their attention and they smile for the camera. She takes the picture and they giggle. This is the happiest Harper has been in months, even before the apocalypse. Rick stands up and taps his glass making it ring through the room. "It's come to my attention, that we haven't thanked our host properly." He says looking at Jenner who sits at a far off table.

"He is more than just our host!" T-dog raises his glass and so does Harper and the others. "Here's to you doc!" Daryl raises his bottle dancing around the table. "BOOYAH!" The group including Harper repeats Daryl. "BOOYAH!" They all laugh and smile internally grateful to the Dr. Than Shane butts in ruining the mood asking Jenner what happened here.

The happiness fades as Jenner tells them about suicides in the halls and people leaving to be with their families. The only reason he says he stayed was that he was "hoping to do some good." They all look at Shane now back into their normal state of depression and funk. "Man you're such a buzz kill." Glenn says partially angry at Shane for ruining their time. Harper is especially mad at him and shoots him daggers.

.o.o.

Jenner after dinner shows them to housing and all its luxuries, they have been missing for so long. They each have their own rooms, but after pleads by Sophia, Harper decides to room with Carol and her daughter. In their room is one small bed that Harper offers to Carol and little Sophia and a small loveseat in the corner next to an end table, where Harper will be sleeping.

The group takes turns getting showers letting the two small families, the Peletier's and the Grimes' go first. Harper decides to be the second to last, the last being Daryl. While waiting on the shower's to become open Harper explores the housing area that has a small rec room. She looks at the books, but by the size of them she could tell with all the time in the world she wouldn't be able to read them. She sits on the rec room couch letting out a sigh of relief.

She is tired and assumes its night by the way the sky had looked before they entered. Harper rubs her hand her broken fingers swelling again from the previous attack. "Eke-hem." She hears and turns to see Daryl standing drinking a bottle that's almost gone. "So is this our new campfire?" He asks her and she smiles rubbing her hand.

He notices her hand and sets his bottle down on the table and goes to her. "Damn." He kneels in front of her and takes her hand in his slightly touching it, her face showing pain. "It's swollen again… Why the hell did you take your wrap off?!" He asks her with slight anger in his voice.

"Got a little gory after the camp clean up, so I threw it away." She tells him. Harper stares at him while he keeps all his attention on her hand. "You get the Doc on this?" He looks up asking her concerned. She pulls her hand away feeling awkward. "No… didn't want to bother him with more of our problems." She tells him and he stands up and holds out his hand. "Come on… I think I got some wrap in my room." She takes his hand with her good one and he pulls her off the couch.

She follows him down the hallway, but is stopped by Carol and Sophia who are back from the showers in clean pajamas. "Harper the showers are open." She nods at Carol. "Alright." She looks at Daryl. "Think I ought to get a shower in before my hand's wrapped." She tells him. He nods taking a swig of his wine. "Kay, don't take to long." He tells her walking away.

.o.o.

She enters the CDC's warm shower water and watches as blood, grime, and gore flows down the drain off her body. The oil in her hair washing away as the lilac shampoo rinses it. She enjoys her time and takes longer than she expected. She dries her self off and throws on a clean silky large men's shirt that goes down to her mid thighs, as a replacement night gown and throws on boy shorts.

She looks in the mirror and sees the Harper she hasn't seen in a long time. She sighs as she sees the bruises and cuts that are more noticeable now that they are not covered by blood and dirt. She laughs to herself feeling an overwhelming sense of joy. "What you laughing at?" She hears a gravely voice that belongs to none other than Daryl Dixon. He startles her. "How long have you been there!?" She shouts at him. "Not long enough to see anything come on, we need to take care of that hand." He tells her.

Nervously Harper follows him, feeling uncomfortable with Daryl seeing her with this little of clothes on. He looks at her up and down as they walk making her even more uncomfortable, he takes notice to the bruises and cuts that she made while being held prisoner. "Damn… you did a number on yourself with those Mexicans." He says looking at her as they walk to housing. She smiles and waves her bad hand. "Yea well wasn't going down with out a fight."

"Sure as hell looks like it." Daryl says. "You know for a tough girl you sure do have a weak stomach." He tells her. Harper looks down embarrassed. "Yea, well I'm hemophobic." She tells him and he looks at her puzzled. "Speak English, please." Daryl looks at her. "I'm severely afraid of blood." She smiles at him laughing. Daryl starts to chuckle. "Well in that case, guess you do have some brass balls, carrying those bodies like you did." He smiles at her as they enter the hallway to the rooms. The way he says brass balls reminds her of Merle and that Daryl is in fact his brother, she had almost forgot.

They make their way down the hall, Daryl taking swigs along the way of his wine. Dale and Rick both pass them going down the hall. Dale smiling humbly in a bath robe and Rick drunker than a skunk. Almost to Daryl's room one of the door's open in front of them. Glenn steps out smiling at her, but than sees Daryl behind her and the smile goes away. Harper and Daryl continue to walk. Daryl passes her than Glenn telling him "To get out of my way little man!" Harper looks at Glenn and smiles as she passes him. He looks at her in disbelief.

"Where are you going?" Glenn asks her nervously. She raises her swollen hand showing him. "Daryl's gonna patch me up in his room." She tells him walking towards Daryl who is now standing in his doorway waiting for her to come in. Glenn stops her again. "Dale can do it if you want, we got some stuff for it." Glenn says trying to convince Harper not to leave with Daryl.

Harper looks at Daryl who is waiting on a decision than she looks back at Glenn. "No I'm fine. Thank you though." She says to Glenn entering Daryl's room. Daryl nods his head at Glenn as he takes a swig of wine and shuts the door behind Harper. Glenn stands in defeat.

Harper stands in the entrance of Daryl's room and looks at his bed wishing almost that she had gotten her own room, so she could get a good nights rest knowing the couch probably wasn't the softest. Daryl walks past her after shutting the door and hands the bottle to her as he goes to the couch and digs through his bag.

She leans on the wall and takes a big swig of the wine, the soft carpet tickling her bare feet as she stands. Daryl watches her as she looks around the room leaning on the white wall. Daryl notices all the curves on her body with the little clothes she has on and feels uncomfortable, but can't help looking. She finally realizes he is looking at her and he quickly looks away nervously stumbling through his bag. He grabs the stuff he needs. "Got it." He says fast and nervous.

She stops leaning on the wall and stands straight up drinking the wine. He walks up to her and takes it. She wipes her lips off with the back of her hand. He goes and sits at the edge of his new bed with his bottle and the stuff to help her hand. "Here, sit." He says pointing to the bed.

She silently freaks out with the awkward situation and brushes her damp brown hair behind her ear nervously before joining him on the edge of the bed. He holds out his hand. "Let me see your hand." She looks at him than the bottle. "Let me see the bottle." She says smiling. He hands her the bottle and she puts her swollen hand into his hand. He pokes at the fingers a bit and she takes a swig of the bottle to hide the pain. He notices a small tattoo of a heart on her ring finger, but decides no to ask her about it.

"You really smashed them up good. You probably shouldn't of been lift'n nothin' and your friend outside probably didn't help much." He tells her. She finishes the bottle feeling buzzed before talking. "Yea well, you can't rest nowadays, even if it's a couple fingers." He looks up at her as she tosses the bottle aside. "You're lucky I have another bottle otherwise you'd be walking your sorry ass back down to the kitchen and getting me one." She smiles and he smiles back as he pulls out gauze to wrap her fingers with.

He takes her fingers gently not saying anything and careful not to cause pain. She watches him wrap them and smiles and he looks up slightly smirking. Daryl not paying attention starts to wrap them to tight and she winces in pain. He quickly goes back to her hand. "Sorry." He says finishing it. "There you're done." He says quickly getting up nervous and uncomfortable. She smiles and slowly gets up. "Thanks." She tells him.

She stands in front of him and they stand in an awkward silence for a moment than she turns for the door. "There's always that second bottle if you want a glass." He tells her before she can leave. She turns around letting go of her grasp on the door handle and smiles. "Sure what the hell."

.o.o.

Harper wakes up her head pounding under white sheets and blankets. She feels panicked not knowing where she is. She raises slowly her head beating on her like a drum. She blinks her eyes and recognizes the place as Daryl's room. She panics not remembering what happened the night beforehand.

She looks down quickly and feels that her night clothes are still on, _Thank god. _She than wonders as she looks around why she's in his bed. She pulls the covers quickly off of her and rushes to find the side of the bed. She stumbles as she gets up and notices three bottles empty on the table.

She looks around her head spinning and her eyes come across the couch. She sees a sleeping Daryl curled into a ball trying to fit his whole body on the couch. She notices him wearing his same clothes and his boots are still on. Something is off she thinks to herself. She goes and grabs a pillow off the bed and throws it at Daryl who jerks awake. "Hey asshole!" She yells at him.

He rises up. "What the hell!" He yells back at her obviously feeling as hung over as she is. She grows angry. "You mind telling me what the hell's a matter with you?!" Daryl shouts. "You mind telling me what the hell I am doing here?!" She shouts back. He slowly gets up. "A glass turned into you going and getting two more bottles." He says angry. "You could barely walk so I let you take the bed and I took the couch wasn't about to carry your ass to your room and let you make a fool of yourself in front of a little girl." He says angrily and all of a sudden Harper feels like a complete ass.

"Sorry to get your hopes up princess but nothing happened! Kay?! So now if you don't mind why don't you get the hell out of my room and let me sleep!" Daryl shouts harshly at her. The words bite and she feels terrible on top of the hangover and quickly marches to the door as her eyes start to fight back tears. She opens it looking back at Daryl once before slamming it and leaving.

After she shuts the door she leans against it and takes a deep breath and fights tears feeling her eyes becoming glassy. She slides down the door and sits on the ground putting her head on her knees hung over and feeling like a total bitch. She hears footsteps coming down the hall looking up barely to see Dale smiling. "Another victim of the wine!" He says chuckling looking at her.

He kneels down noticing that there's more wrong with her than just the wine. "Dear, what's the matter?" Dale asks her concerned. "Besides the hangover, I just made an utterly and complete ass of myself that's what." She puts her head on her knees while Dale rubs her back. "Is it about last night and your whereabouts?" Harper looks up at him than back to her knees. "Glenn said he saw you go into Daryl's room last night." Harper keeps her head down and sighs. "Yea well that's where I woke up."

Dale looks at her shocked. "You-you didn't—"Harper looks at him. "No I didn't." She tells him and his shocked look dies down. "I couldn't make it back to my room so he let me sleep in there, but of course when I woke up I didn't remember anything and I—I was rude and—and… like I said before I acted like an ass." Dale nods. "That's what got me here, he screamed at me than kicked me out." She tells him. Dale smiles. "Ahh yes, well don't beat yourself up too bad, Daryl's not the nicest himself."

Dale smiles and stands up grabbing her hand and pulling her to her feet. She feels somewhat better at the old man's statement. "Why don't you go get some fresh clothes on and join us for breakfast? T-dog made some eggs." Dale says patting her back. "Should I get Daryl?" She asks. "Why don't you just leave the boy to his hangover… that was probably half his problem." Dale tells her and she smiles giving him a hug before heading to her room.

She gets to the door about to enter when it opens for her. Sophia and Carol stand in front of her in the doorway. "Harper!" Carol says shocked to see her and hugs her. She releases the hug. "Where were you?" Sophia asked. "Being stupid." Harper answers smiling at the little girl. "We didn't know where you went and when you didn't come to bed we assumed the worse." Carol tells her. "Well I am here now." Harper says rubbing the little girl's head. "Sophia why don't you head down to breakfast so me and Harper can talk." Carol tells the little girl. Sophia skips her way down the hall leaving them.

"She seems happy here." Harper says smiling. "Yea, but what about you?" Carol asks concerned. Harper sighs. "Long story that I'm sure you'll hear about at breakfast." Carol hugs her. "Alright well as long as you're fine, would hate to lose somebody now." Harper nods. "Would hate to lose somebody any day." Harper tells her.

Carol pats her on the back and leaves her to get dressed. Harper enters the room shutting the door behind her sighing as the headache grows. Right now Harper wants to crawl into the bed sitting five feet from her, but knows she needs to go to breakfast to settle the now spreading rumors of last night. _Her? Sleep with Daryl Dixon? These people were out of their minds if they thought that she would ever sink that low. _She thought to herself, but than again, these people barely knew her. Five days though and she felt like she had known them for a lifetime.

She walks to her bag that presently sits on the couch and pulls out her clothes. She puts on a slim brown tank top and a red flannel with dark jeans. After getting dressed the massive headache pounds on her head making her lose her balance and she starts to fall but catches herself on the couch with her bad hand causing pain to shoot up her arm. She looks at her wrapped hand and remembers Daryl's generosity the night before making her feel even more guilty. The man doesn't do much caring for the group so when he does you don't knock him down for it. Harper knows she needs to apologize and thank him before it's too late.

She listens to Dale's advice and decides not to bother him before breakfast, but afterwards it's her mission to talk to him. Harper makes her way to the food court slowly and painfully. As she nears the room she hears the group talking and slows to listen to them.

"So you think they?" She hears Lori say. "No, I talked to Harper." Dale's voice chimes in making Harper like the old man even more. "Did what?" She hears Sophia's little voice. "Nothing, eat your eggs." Carol tells her daughter. "Are you sure though?" Glenn's worried voice comes in. "Just the thought of those two, togeth—it kinda makes me—"The sound of Glenn barfing comes in, he is suffering from a hangover too. "I think Harper's a smart girl, even if they did, it wouldn't be our business." Dale says. Harper decides to enter the room to kill the conversation before it makes her sick too.

She enters rubbing her head and they all stare at her. "Morning." Dale says. "Here sit." He pulls out a chair and than helps her to it. "Looks like Glenn isn't the only one suffering." Jacqui says to her rubbing Glenn's back, a bucket sits next to him. T-dog walks a plate of eggs to her. "Thank you." She tells him rubbing her aching forehead. She notices the group still staring at her, searching for answers. It makes her slightly angry and she decides not to tell them anything. "What?!" She says angrily to the group taking a quick bite of her eggs. The group looks away and Dale pats her back as she looks down.

Rick enters looking just as hung over as the rest of them. He looks over at his wife and son. "Morning." Carl looks at his father smiling. "Are you hung over? Mom said you'd be." Carl asks smirking. Lori looks at him and so does Rick. "Mom is right." Lori chuckles. "Yea mom has that annoying habit." She smiles at Rick. T-dog hands Rick a plate of some eggs boasting about them being good, which Harper has to admit they aren't that bad. Glenn moans loudly with his hand on his head. T-dog tells him to eat that "Protein helps the hangover" and they giggle at a moaning Glenn.

"Don't ever ever ever let me drink again." Glenn says as Shane walks in. Harper notices him ducking his head as to not be seen. Rick asks him if he feels as bad as he does and he answers with "Worse." Harper watches him fix coffee and T-dog walk up to him. T-dog's eyes get big upon seeing Shane. "Man what happened to you? Your neck?" T-dog asks as Shane turns around revealing claw like scratches going down his neck.

"Don't know must've done it in my sleep." He says suspiciously sitting down. "Never seen you do that before?" Rick says concerned. "Me neither. Not like me at all." He exchanges glances at Lori, but she quickly looks away. Harper comes to the conclusion that maybe the group shouldn't of been worried about her and Daryl, but instead Lori and Shane.

Jenner walks in and they all tell him good morning, but Harper notices Dale and Andrea exchange glances and nod. "Doc, I don't mean to slam you with questions first thing, but—"Jenner interrupts him. "But you will anyways." Andrea looks at the doctor. "We didn't come here for the eggs." Daryl than enters the room in new clothes and showered, looking fresher and bushier tailed than most of them. Harper looks at him and watches as a gleam of anger flashes through his eyes when he sees her. She looks down and avoids his gaze as he makes his plate.

.o.o.

"Man I'm gonna get shit faced drunk… again." Daryl says leaning on some computers in the big room putting both his hands to his fore head. The group pulls themselves back together after seeing the turning process on a wide scaled monitor. They have come to the CDC to get answers, but the answer they got was _there is no hope left. _

Harper wipes away a few stray tears in private not wanting the group to see. Watching the process over again and finding out there is no cure is a lot to handle even for her. She watches Daryl pull his thoughts together as well knowing it bothered him too. Dale's curious soul continues to ask Jenner more, his question being as he points to a countdown on the wall. "What happens at zero?"

The group not noticing it before begins to stare at the clock. "The basement generators, they run out of fuel." Jenner tells them. Harper now grows angry as the doctor doesn't tell them anything else. "And then?" Harper asks, but doesn't get an answer. Rick looks up at the ceiling. "Vi, what happens when the basement generators run out?" VI's computer generated voice rings out telling them that "When the power runs out facility wide decontamination will occur."

.o.o.

"That's pretty Sophia." Harper tells the little girl who shows her another drawing as Carol and them sit together on the floor of their room. Harper's mind wanders somewhere else though. She's worried about how Jenner acted and what _facility wide decontamination _meant_. _She also wonders on how Daryl is holding up remembering what he said about getting shit faced drunk, "Again."

She gets up deciding to talk to him needing to make her apology anyways. "Where you going?" Carol asks concerned as Harper rises. "Just going to take a walk." Harper says heading towards the door. "Don't go too far, Rick should be back soon." Carol tells her. "Don't worry about me. Why don't you guys pack your stuff, I didn't like how Jenner sounded." Harper says. "Why?" Carol asks concerned. "Just trust me ok. It's just for preparation, plus this room is getting pretty cluttered." Harper tells her and Carol nods as Harper leaves the room.

Harper makes her way to Daryl's room sighing not knowing what she's going to say when she gets there. Finally at Daryl's door she stands and looks at her feet for a moment, before knocking on the wooden door. Daryl swings the door open with another bottle in his hand. He sees it's her and goes to slam it, but she stops it with her bad hand making her cringe in pain. "Damn it girl!" He tells her as she holds her hand in pain.

"I came to tell you I am sorry for this morning." She tells him. He scoffs. "All that's going on. The world ending, a half an hour before decontamination, and you're standing here apologizing to me? I thought you were a hell of a lot smarter than that." He tells her taking a swig. "Yea well this is a problem I can fix, the other two I can't. So yea I am sorry." She tells him looking into his blue eyes as the gleam of anger vanishes from them. He nods taking a drink. "We're cool."

All of a sudden they hear the air conditioning shut down and Harper watches the lights in Daryl's room behind him shut off. He turns around marching into his room. "What the hell?! He says waving his hand in front of the ceiling vent. Harper walks to him concerned. "What's going on?" She says a hint of fear in her voice. He stares into her frightened blue eyes. The same eyes he had seen with the Vatos and the night of the camp attack. He grows angry thinking that he'd never have to see those eyes again. "It's the power. It's gone." He tells her as they hear voices in the hall.

They walk to the doorway, Daryl still holding the bottle. Carol and Lori march behind Jenner. "Why is the air off?" Lori asks him and he continues to walk ignoring her. Everyone spills out of their rooms. Daryl looks at everyone. "What's going on? Why is everything turned off?" He asks. Jenner than walks by him and steals the bottle from his hands. Daryl marches after him. Harper follows closely behind Daryl now feeling the same unsafe feel she had before the CDC.

"Energy use is being prioritized." Jenner says as the whole group follows him. Sophia latches onto Carol scared. "Air isn't a priority? And lights?" Dale asks panicked. The hallway lights shut off surrounding them in darkness. Fear creeps up on Harper and she sticks close to Daryl. "Zone 5 is shutting itself down." Jenner tells them as they follow his lead as he takes swigs of Daryl's bottle. "Hey! Hey, what the hell does that mean?!" Daryl says, Harper grows worried sensing fear in his voice as well.

They enter the big room and Daryl speeds up besides Jenner with Harper close behind him. "Hey, man I'm talking to you!" Daryl yells at Jenner looking back to make sure Harper is behind him. "What do you mean it's shutting itself down?! How can a building do anything?!" Daryl asks angry. "You'd be surprised." Jenner tells him as they walk further into the big room. Rick, Shane, T-dog, and Glenn run into the room from another entrance. "Rick?!" Lori yells to him worried. "Jenner what's happening?!" Rick walks to Jenner as he makes his way to the computers.

Jenner tells them that the building is designed to keep the computers running as long as possible and that it has started to shut everything down as they approach the half hour mark. They look to the clock as it reads thirty one minutes. They all stand silently in fear as Daryl takes the bottle away from Jenner. Jenner tells them that the French were the last ones to hold out. Rick looks at everybody knowing Jenner is not stable. "Lori grab our things! Everybody, get your stuff! We're getting out of here now!" They all turn to run as Jenner makes his way to a panel. They are stopped by a loud buzzing alarm. Harper looks at Daryl with fear. "What's that?" She asks him and he shakes his head, no answer.

"30 MINUTES TO DECONTAMINATION." VI's robotic voice rings through their ears. "DOC WHAT'S GOING ON HERE DAMNIT!?" Daryl yells at Jenner after seeing Harper's frightened eyes. Shane speaks up. "Come one ya'll you heard Rick! Get your stuff and let's go!" Daryl pulls on Harper's arm. "Come on now! Let's go!" He tells her and she runs with him. Than the unexpected happens.

Harper and Daryl watch in front of them as large metallic doors spring up in front of the entrances closing them in. "Did you just lock us in?! He just locked us in!" Glenn shouts first at Jenner than to the group. Harper looks at Daryl and her eyes glass up with more fear than ever before. The children shout for their mothers and cry. Daryl looks at Harper's eyes and is infuriated. He marches fast and angry to Jenner. "YOU SON OF A BITCH!" Daryl charges Jenner.

Harper and Shane run after him. "YOU LOCKED US IN HERE!" Daryl screams about to smash the bottle to Jenner's head. "Daryl! Stop! No don't!" Harper yells as he grabs the doctor's collar who sits at a computer. Glenn, T-dog, Shane, and Harper reach him and hold him back. "YOU LOCKED US IN HERE!" He yells fighting against the restraints. Harper yells to calm the angry redneck down. "Daryl! Stop it! Now!"

Rick marches to Jenner. "Hey Jenner open up that door." Jenner looks at him and refuses saying that there's no point that the entrance is locked down. He tells them "It's better this way." Harper looks at the doctor. "What is? What happens in 28 minutes?!" Jenner ignores her. Rick yells at him to get him to answer. "WHAT HAPPENS IN 28 MINUTES!?" Jenner returns yelling at him about what the CDC is and what it's programmed to do. As he yells Harper goes to a frightened Carol and Sophia and hugs them. Jenner tells them that in case of something getting out or the power goes out HITS are deployed to stop it.

The group looks puzzled not knowing what HITS are. "VI Define." Jenner tells the computer. "HITs-high impulse thermobaric fuel-air-explosives consist of a two-stage aerosol ignition that produces a blast wave of significantly greater power and duration than any other known explosive except nuclear." VI defines as Carol and Sophia begin to cry. Harper hugs her friends fighting tears to stay strong for them as VI continues. "The vacuum-pressure effect ignites the oxygen at between 5,000 and 6,000 degrees and is useful when the greatest loss of life and damage to structures is desired." Lori, Carl, and Rick hug. Daryl watches as a tear falls down Harper's petrified face.

"It sets the air on fire." Jenner says hauntingly.

.o.o.

Harper sits with her arms around a crying Carol and Sophia her face dry of tears as they listen to glass shatter against metal. Daryl throws the wine bottle at the doors blocking their escape. "OPEN THE DAMN DOOR!" He yells to Jenner. "Out of my way!" Shane says running to the door and hitting it with an axe. "Daryl!" T-dog yells throwing an axe to the redneck who than proceeds to hit the door with Shane making no dents. Carl and Sophia sob. "You should've left well enough alone. It would've been so much easier." Jenner tells them.

"Easier for who?!" Lori asks angry. "You know what's out there. A short brutal life and an agonizing death." Jenner says than turns to Andrea talking about Amy. Harper kisses Sophia's head as she sobs. "Don't listen to him. Don't listen to him." She whispers into the crying little girls ears. Shane comes up out of breath Daryl still hammers at the door not giving up. "Can't make a dent." Shane says.

"Those doors are designed to withstand a rocket launcher." Jenner tells him as Daryl comes charging with his axe. "WELL YOUR HEAD AIN'T!" Rick and Shane hold him back once again. "Daryl! Daryl! Just back up! Back up!" Rick yells at him. They push him away and he once again calms down. Jenner stands up and tells the group how Rick said that it was only a matter of time before they all died. The group looks at him shocked. "I had to keep hope alive didn't I?" Rick tells them.

Jenner answers saying there is no hope, but Rick refuses to hear that. Andrea agrees with Jenner. "This is what takes us down. This is our extinction event."

"YOU BASTARD!" Harper yells at him holding Sophia and Carol. "This isn't right." Carol sobs. "You can't just keep us here!" Jenner looks at Harper and Carol. He tells them about how quick it will be "One tiny moment." "My daughter doesn't deserve to die like this!" Carol sobs and Harper comforts her. "You son of a bitch." Harper says to him. "This isn't human!" Harper gets up with Carol and Sophia to get them away from this man's crazy talk.

Shane cocks a gun and aims it at Jenner. Rick yells at him to calm down. "Open that door." Shane tells him putting a shotgun in Jenner's face. Rick informs him that if Jenner dies they all die. Shane angrily yells and starts shooting computers before Rick hits him and pens him to the ground. "Are you done now? Are you done?" Rick asks him. "Yea I guess we all are." Shane tells him as he gets up.

Hope drains from all their faces as they stand around. Harper stands with Carol, Sophia, and Daryl her new found friends knowing they're going to die. She looks at Daryl with watery eyes that tell him she's not ready to die. Neither is Daryl. He takes his axe and goes to the door continuing to try. Harper goes with him and helps; if they're going to die it's not going to be standing alone.

"Come on!" Harper's voice quivers as she yells hitting the door sending pain through her fingers. She feels a tear running down her cheek and quickly wipes it away. "Come on!" She yells at the door as they hear Jenner and Rick talk back and forth. "Come on! You son of a bitch!" She yells cringing in pain and feeling more tears come. She gives up on the axe and starts hitting the door with her hands yelling. Daryl drops his axe and grabs her hands to stop her from hurting herself and turns her facing him as he yells. "HARP!" He gets her to calm down and look at him. She cries. "I'm not ready to die." She sobs looking into his deep blue eyes.

He holds her hands and is about to pull her in when they hear the door open next to them. Daryl looks at her than to the group. "COME ON!" He yells than leans down and grabs his axe. Harper quickly wipes her face and grabs her axe. "Sophia, Carol, hurry!" She yells to them and they come running to her. Daryl goes running ahead and the three follow. They find the group running behind them as they shout to get out.

They make their way to the rooms. Harper grabs her pack, Darlene, and slides her 45. Into its rightful spot on her belt. She helps Sophia quickly slide her backpack on and hands the little girl her doll. Daryl comes in the room with his bag and crossbow at hand. "COME ON! HURRY!" Daryl yells at them. Carol picks up Sophia and Daryl grabs onto Harper's arm pulling her out of the room. They run down the hall with the rest of the group. They make it to a flight of stairs and speed up it as fast as possible reaching the main floor. T-dog gets ahead of them and runs to the doors of the entrance.

"GET THEM DOORS OPEN!" Shane yells at T-dog. Harper stays close to Carol and Sophia comforting them as the rest of the group floods the CDC lobby. "IT DOESN'T WORK!" T-dog yells. Daryl and Shane get to the large windows and hit at them with their axes, but the glass doesn't bust. "Come on! Come on!" Daryl yells at the windows. "Stay close sweetheart." Carol tells Sophia. Harper notices the absence of Jacqui, Andrea, and Dale. "Jacqui, Andrea, Dale!?" Harper asks Lori. Lori shakes her head no and holds Carl close. Harper fights tears back at the thought of losing more friends.

T-dog tells Shane and Daryl to move as he slams a chair into the glass. It doesn't break. Shane cocks his shotgun and yells for T-dog to get down before he shoots the glass, but it has no effect, the glass doesn't break. "The glass won't break?!" Sophia's little voice quivers and Harper hugs her. Harper watches Carol who gets an idea. Carol digs into her bag. "Rick I have something that might help!" She shuffles into her bag looking for something. "Carol I don't think a nail file's gonna do it." Shane tells her. "Your first morning at camp when I washed your uniform…" Carol pulls out a grenade. "I found this in your pocket."

Rick takes it quickly and heads to the window. "Everybody get down!" Shane yells at the group. Carol takes Sophia and ducks by the stairs leaving Harper standing. Daryl runs to her and grabs her. "COME ON! Get down now!" They duck next to Carol, Daryl holding Harper acting as her cover. They hear a loud boom and shatter as Rick dives a few feet away from them.

Harper looks up as Daryl lets go, seeing a busted out window. "Come on!" He says and pulls her up. Carol and Sophia run ahead. Harper watches as Sophia drops her doll. Sophia cries. Carol pulls her along not letting her go back for the doll. Daryl pulls on Harper to come on, but she doesn't go instead she grabs the doll and runs back to Daryl. "Let's go!" Daryl yells at her. They head out the window seeing walkers ahead who most likely came due to the grenade boom.

Harper stays close behind Daryl wielding Darlene as they make their way to the abandoned caravan. A walker comes awful close to grabbing Harper, but pays the consequence as Daryl takes its head off with one swift swing of his axe. As they near the cars Harper trips over a body landing in rotting guck.

She panics, but than feels the strong familiar grip of Daryl pulling her up. He marches her along to the truck opening the door and shoving her inside and than following her getting in the truck as well. He goes to duck, but she stops him pointing out the window. "Andrea! Dale!" She watches as the old man and blonde duck behind sand bags.

"Get down!" Daryl tells her as he hugs her pulling her down; knowing the explosion of the CDC was imminent. He holds her head covering her ears and providing cover over her small figure. She holds onto him scared as an explosion rings through her ears, Daryl's hands not being of much use against the loud noise. Harper panics knowing how many walkers it must've attracted.

Daryl releases his grip on her, but she doesn't as she looks up frightened and needing comfort even if it's from a hotheaded redneck. The horror of burning rubble lights up Harper's eyes. There is no longer a CDC, VI, Jenner, Jacqui, or hope. Tears run down her face as she feels the heat of the burning rubble. The tears on her face are wiped away, not by her this time, but by Daryl's rough, but soft hands. "You ok?" He asks. She nods releasing her grip on him and moving away into her seat. He starts the truck as he sees Andrea and Dale make their way into the RV.

The RV soon starts and their caravan moves out towards Fort Binning 125 miles in the opposite direction.

.o.o.

TO BE CONTINUED:

_**NEXT CHAPTER WHAT LIES AHEAD**_


	7. Chapter 7: On the Road Again

_**BEGINNING OF SEASON 2 FINALLY! BEEN WAITING TO GET MY HANDS ON THIS SEASON KNOWING ALL THE GREAT STORY TELLING AND CHARACTER BUILDING THERE IS… I'M SO EXCITED TO GET TO WRITE HARPER INTO IT KNOWING HOW GREAT SEASON 2 IS. ALSO I STARTED A TRIVIA SO YOU CAN KNOW A LITTLE ABOUT WHERE MY INSPIRATION CAME FROM… SORRY IT TOOK SO LONG TO POST THIS CHAPTER, BUT WITH SCHOOL AND I'VE ALSO STARTED A BOONDOCK SAINTS FANFIC IT HAS BEEN HARD TO GET IT DONE ESPECIALLY WITH THE CHAPTERS GETTING LONGER…SO AS ALWAYS REVIEW AND READ ON**_

_**LOVE **_

_**J**_

**TRIVIA**

_**~Harper Murphy got her last name from Murphy McManus, one of Norman's (AKA-Daryl) previous roles as an Irish Vigilante**_

_**~Harper is a mix of a bunch of already existing characters in the Walking Dead, them being Daryl, Carol, Andrea, Michonne, Glenn, and Rick, everything she does or says and even her history is a piece of those characters**_

_**~Harper's father was a lot like Ed and her brother was like Merle making her relate to Daryl and Carol even more.**_

**SEASON 2 EPISODE 1: What Lies Ahead**

**CHAPTER 7: On the Road Again**

-A person often meets his destiny on the road he took to avoid it.

~Jean de La Fontaine

"Harper. Harper, wake up." Harper opens her eyes and raises her head off the window sill of the Cherokee looking at Carol and Sophia. "We're making a quick stop." Carol tells her. Harper looks out the window of the stopped car and sees the parking lot of a wildlife rest stop. Harper watches as Carol and Sophia slide out of the backseat they had been sitting in with her for the past hour. She rubs her eyes and notices Carl, Lori, and Rick have also piled out of the car and Rick is outside giving orders to some of the group.

"Check the cars for supplies and siphon any gas, we'll need it." Harper hears Rick say as she slowly gets out of the Cherokee. Carol waves her hand gesturing Harper to come to her. "Harp, why don't you help me search the cars a bit." Carol tells her. Harper nods and joins Carol. They head to the back of an abandoned SUV and open it up. Harper looks around as Carol digs through bags in the SUV. She notices Daryl and T-dog lug gas cans and hose to siphon gas out of the cars.

Daryl sees her and heads to the SUV starting on its tank first. She nods at him as a hello and he returns the gesture. She begins to than help Carol dig through the bags for useful items while Daryl kneels beside her at the gas tank siphoning it, but no luck. "Damn." He says rising up from the tank looking at her. "Empty." She looks at him and sighs. "Been getting a lot of that these days. How many more miles?" She asks Daryl. Daryl shakes his head. "Don't know, why don't you ask the Asian? He's got the map." Daryl tells her nodding at Glenn who stands by the RV.

Daryl walks away towards the next car's gas tank. Harper looks at Carol and pats her back. "I'm gonna go talk to Glenn." Harper tells her. Carol nods and than continues to search as Harper walks towards the young Asian. "Yo, Glenn. How much further?" She asks him walking up. "45 according to the map, about halfway there." Harper sighs. "Ugh, don't think I can last another car ride of Sophia telling me another story." Harper says smirking thinking of the books the little girl had gathered from the CDC. Daryl over hears their conversation and smiles.

"Kay guys! Time to saddle up!" They hear Shane shout. "Here we go, Cat in the Hat round 2." she smiles at Glenn. Glenn laughs before stepping into the Winnebago. "We're leaving T-dog's van, my jeep, and Daryl's truck, so make traveling arrangements now." Shane tells the group. Harper walks to Carol and Sophia as Carol helps her try on a jacket. "You riding with us?" Carol asks. Harper nods. "Nowhere else to go." She says smiling at Sophia.

Carol and Sophia walk away with Harper to the Cherokee. Harper stops hearing the engine of a motorcycle start and grow near. Harper turns around to see Daryl on his motorcycle. He looks up at her and she smiles. "So it lives! Sounds good too, for a 71." She tells him. "Yea it's a tough son of a bitch." Daryl tells her. Harper stands there awkwardly for moment before turning around, but Daryl stops her. "Hey! You wanna ride?" He asks. She turns around looking at him in disbelief. "On that?!" She asks. "Yea, it beats green eggs and ham doesn't it?" Daryl smiles at her and she chuckles. She turns and looks at Sophia and Carol who stand waiting on her.

"Guys just go ahead. I think I got a ride." She tells them, but looks at Daryl smiling. "But Harper—"Sophia begins to plead, but is interrupted by Carol who motions her to the Cherokee. Carol waves bye to her as Harper positions herself on the motorcycle. Harper feels weird not being on a motorcycle in so long and being on it with none other than a sleeveless Daryl Dixon.

She grasps the side bars of the motorcycle to hold on, but Daryl doesn't let it slide. He grabs her hands from behind him softly and clasps them around his waste like a seatbelt. "You need to hold on; your fingers are too weak to grab the handles. Stop working them as much, damn." He lectures her before revving the engine making her smile. She had secretly wanted to hold onto him, but didn't want to make it anymore awkward than it already was. Now clasped onto him she felt safer, as the motorcycle rides ahead of the caravan.

They make their way out of the rest stop the three vehicles they had decided to leave behind vanish in the distance. The wind blows through Harper's hair making it flow behind her. She watches as Daryl's does the same. The Georgia landscape moving around them. Harper watches peacefully as it goes by feeling happy for once. Harper finds her fingers slowly tracing the wings on Daryl's vest and he looks back to see what she's doing. To avoid the awkward moment she looks behind her at the RV and sees Glenn and Dale sitting at the front. She looks at Dale who smiles and waves at her than to Glenn who just gives a sheepish smile, but she can see behind his eyes that something is disturbing him.

"Why? Why him?!" Glenn says out loud. "Pardon me?" Dale asks him concerned. Glenn shakes his head. "One of the prettiest girls left in the world and Daryl scores her? Something isn't right. I would feel better if it was someone like Shane or somebody, but she chooses Daryl?" Glenn says upset. Dale looks at him smiling. "Hey she hasn't chosen yet. You gotta give her a chance, okay? The girl's smart she'll choose the right man in the end. Whether it's Daryl, you, or anybody. She'll be fine and so will you." Dale reassures him. Glenn looks at Harper who rests her head on Daryl's shoulder and squeezes tighter. "You sure?" He asks Dale pointing at the two on the motorcycle.

Harper finds herself resting her head on Daryl's shoulder before too long and holding on to him for warmth as the breeze chills her bare skin. It feels natural for once and not awkward or forced. She knows this little gesture will probably have the group talking, but she is tired and can't fight the wind forever. She wonders whether she has made Daryl feel uncomfortable, but can't bring herself to move her head or loosen her grasp as she slowly closes her eyes as the wind blows her hair soothingly.

.o.o.

"Hey Harper." Daryl nudges Harper awake as the motorcycle slows down. "Wake up princess, there's a problem." She looks up from his shoulder and sees the highway they're on is filled with cars. "What do we do?" She asks him concerned. "Hold on." He tells her as he makes a quick U-turn and she squeezes him not expecting the sudden turn. He pulls up next to the RV window as Dale sticks his head out.

"See a way through?" Dale asks. Daryl stands up a bit on the motorcycle and peers out at the wreckage as does Harper. Harper sees a gap and so does Daryl. Daryl nods towards it as a reply to Dale as he sits down and revs the engine telling Harper to hold on as the make another U-turn back towards the pile up.

They enter slowly with the caravan behind them. It is a haunting feeling as they pass cars with dead bodies strapped in them. Harper buries her head on Daryl's back to make the feeling go away when they hear a loud clank and whiz of smoke. They look behind them as the RV comes to a stop with smoke coming out of the engine. The motorcycle stops and Daryl kicks out the kick stand.

Harper holds onto Daryl's shoulders as she raises one leg over the motorcycle. Once comfortable with both feet on the ground she holds a hand out to Daryl to help him raise off the bike. Once he gets situated he grabs his crossbow slinging it over his shoulder and looks at her. "Get ready to scavenge through these cars, looks like we're gonna be here a while." He tells her pointing to the broken down RV. They walk together to the group huddled around the old Winnebago. They get close and Daryl looks at her and points to a Clark Griswold wagon stranded by the RV. "Looks like that's got some loot." He says nodding at it. "Why don't you help me with it?"

She follows Daryl to the Wagon and he opens the back as Dale stares at them. "Okay that was dumb." Dale states as Harper sorts through the supplies in the back end of the car. "If you can't find a radiator hose here." Shane tells him looking at the endless line of cars. "Whole bunch of stuff we can find." Daryl says zipping open Harper's pack and putting supplies in it. Them working as a team to scavenge supplies.

"Siphon more fuel from these cars for a start." T-dog tells them as Daryl and Harper continue. "Maybe some water?" Carol says keeping Sophia close to her. Harper hands Carol a water bottle she finds in the wagon. "Here." She tells her as Carol takes the water bottle and hands it to Sophia. "Thank you." Carol says gratefully as Harper heads back to the wagon. Glenn looks towards the wagon. "Food?" Harper shakes her head as they finish with the wagon. "Nope not here gotta be some somewhere around here though." She tells Glenn.

"This place is a graveyard." Lori speaks up and the group stops and stares at her. "I-I don't know how I feel about this." Lori states, but they all brush it off their shoulders knowing they have no choice, but to rob these cars. "Come on y'all! Look around gather what you can." Shane tells the group to get them moving, something he's good at.

Daryl walks off with T-dog gas cans and tubes at hand. Harper thinks to herself, _the gas siphoning partners, a racist redneck and a black guy. _Harper likes to think of Daryl as not being racist, but knows it only comes with being raised by Merle Dixon; she figured he was born into it. Harper follows the two Peletiers with Lori and tiny Rick to search the cars. As they walk in between the rows of cars she blocks Sophia and Carl's vision, as best as she can with the help of Lori and Carol, from the horror of dead corpses buckled into the abandoned vehicles.

"Harper! Harper! You think we could find more books? Like the ones from the CDC?!" Sophia tugs on Harper's hand excitedly. Harper smiles at her. "Yea Soph, we could. You heard Daryl. There's all sorts of stuff we can find. Now stay quiet ok?" Harper looks at the little girl holding her hand. Sophia smiles and looks at her mother with high hopes.

They walk and finally find a small SUV with no dead bodies and Carol searches it while Carl and Sophia look at some of the cars. "Hey Carl. Always within my sight." Lori orders her son cautiously. Carol and Harper look at Sophia. "You too Sophia." Carol tells the little girl and Sophia nods. Harper eyes a promising truck a few yards away with boxes in the back of the bed.

"Hey Carol, I'm gonna check out that truck over there. You got this?" Harper asks Carol who nods as she sorts through the items of the SUV. Sophia looks back at Harper worried as to where she is going. "I'll be back. Stay with your mama." Harper reassures her and smiles at Carol as she walks away. Harper takes a glance back at Sophia who waves her small hand bye with her doll at hand. Harper returns the wave and walks to the truck.

She gets to the truck and looks at the bed full of boxes. They're soaked and ruined from the weather. The only thing salvageable is a bottle of pinkish water that probably isn't the best. She sighs and turns around seeing Daryl kneeling by a cobalt blue dodge neon taking what's left of its gas. She walks to him. "Any luck on fuel?" She asks him as she walks up.

"Yea, with this much fuel we should be able to get to hell and back." He looks up at her. "Yea well we only need it to get us to Fort Binning." Harper tells him as he gets up. "You really think it's still standing?" He asks her looking into her eyes. "Who the hell knows… but its hope and I think we need that more than a safe refuge at this point." Harper looks at him and he smirks. "A bed for sleep'n and pot to piss in ain't such a bad thing though." He chuckles.

"Yeah no kidding." She says smiling. They walk further down the highway a bit and see Shane bathing in a jug of water cheering. The truck he stands at is full of water. "Well we got water so take that off your checklist." She tells Daryl looking up at him before continuing their walk down the highway.

They see a car nearby and head for its gas tank. "Here help me." Daryl says handing her the almost full gas can. "This one should do it, than we can head back to the Winnebago." He tells her opening up the latch on the gas tank sticking a hose down it. She stands by waiting until he needs the can. The Georgia sun beats down on them and she can feel sweat down her forehead.

"Man a shower would be nice." She says out loud. Daryl waves for the can. "Yea well need fuel first." She gives him the can and it starts to fill with gas the rest of the way. The stand waiting when all of a sudden they hear familiar groans and the smell hits them as they see hundreds of rotting heads sticking up above cars ahead of them.

"Shit!" Daryl whispers and grabs her arm. "Come with me!" He continues to whisper. He tugs and pulls her away leaving the gas can. They run down the highway, Daryl pulling her along. They duck behind a car as a few walkers pass them having caught up. Harper is frightened, but tries not to show it. She whispers to Daryl. "Daryl! The kids and the others! They don't know!" Daryl grabs her making her face him. He puts a finger to his mouth. "Shhhh… follow my lead okay?" He looks into her deep scared blue eyes. She nods trusting him.

He grabs her wrist and pulls her behind another car. He looks at her as walkers pass and points to another car for them to hide behind. He raises three of his fingers mouthing "1…2…3!" They run across panting the RV in sight. Harper kneels down placing her hand on the ground, but when she does it's not ground she feels, but fresh blood. She looks to Daryl and shows him her blood covered hand. "Were you bit?!" Daryl whispers harshly. She shakes her head no and points to the ground. They than follow a fresh blood trail with their eyes that leads away from the RV.

"Daryl! It could be one of the group." Harper whispers to him. He looks around checking for walkers. "Yea, but look where it's head'n!" He says harshly. All of a sudden like on cue they see T-dog's head above one of the cars running around like a chicken with its head cutoff, looking for somewhere to hide. "We gotta help him!" She looks at Daryl pleadingly. He sighs. "Follow me and do as I say!" He whispers.

They follow T-dog's trail slowly, quietly, and cautiously hiding behind cars and avoiding walkers. The RV starts to vanish from view. They slink along a truck as they start to find the end of the trail. "Come on." Daryl whispers and they round the corner of the old fruit truck. They see T-dog laying on the ground gasping as blood floods out of his arm making Harper queasy, but what really attracts their eyes is the walker heading towards T-dog looking to make the injured man his meal.

Daryl acts quickly. He looks to Harper, giving her a look to stay put and she nods. He heads behind the walker putting a finger to his mouth issuing T-dog to stay quiet and calm. He pulls out a screw driver and wraps his arm around the walkers head making Harper uneasy at the proximity of his arm and the walker's mouth. He shoves the rusty screwdriver in the back of the walker's skull silently with force, the muscles in his arms tense up. He looks back at her and waves for her to move forward.

She runs to him as he takes the dead walker's body and lays it on top of T-dog. "What the hell are you doing?!" Harper whispers to him harshly. "Trust me! Lay down on the ground!" He whispers to her pointing next to a small car. "What?! Why?!" She asks him. "No time for questions!" He says and she listens to him as she hears walkers shambling their way. She lies on the ground next to the car watching Daryl as he pulls a dead body out of it and lies down next to her placing the body on top of them as walkers make their way into the area.

She looks at Daryl with fear in her eyes as the walkers step over them and sometimes on them. She knows he is masking their smell just like Rick and Glenn did in Atlanta, but it doesn't make it any less terrifying or disgusting. The dead man lying on top of them smells worse than anything she has smelled in a while and Daryl can tell by the expression on her face. He slowly moves his hand to her head and pulls her into him to block the smell. She buries her face in his chest his musky smell helps, but does not block the smell of the rotting flesh on top of them.

Harper closes her eyes as Daryl holds her head in. They wait for it to be over cringing at the pain every time a walker's foot lands on them. Harper feels bad for Daryl who is taking most of the hits from wrapping himself around her. She feels his muscles tighten up around her whenever he's trampled on knowing it's causing him pain. She grasps his leather vest tightly with his arm around her. They wait for what seems like centuries, but finally the moaning, the trampling, and the sounds of jagged footsteps go away.

She releases her grip on Daryl and looks into his blue eyes terrified. "You okay?" He asks concerned and she nods. He quickly shoves the body off of them and gets up. He than reaches his hand down and helps her up. The coast is clear. Daryl makes his way to T-dog who is safe and pulls the body off of him. They look at his cut on his arm and Harper has to look away. Daryl takes a rag out of his pocket and wraps it on T-dogs arm. He looks to Harper. "Help me out." He tells her as he puts T-dogs arm around his shoulder. Harper runs up and grabs the man's other arm and helps carry him.

They walk slowly back to the RV with T-dog when they hear the worst sound imaginable. The sounds of small childlike screams echo across the highway. They are familiar to Harper as her eyes get glassy knowing they're coming from Sophia. She looks at Daryl. "IT'S SOPHIA!" She shouts and he looks into her eyes knowing. "Go! Go! I got him!" Daryl tells her waving his hand issuing her to go. She nods and let's go of T-dog running towards the screams.

"SOPHIA!" She screams. She runs towards the sounds and sees Dale, Shane, and Glenn running. She follows them. She sees Carol running to the edge of the highway and grabs her and hugs her. "Oh Harper! There are two walkers after my baby!" Carol sobs and Harper pulls her in looking towards the direction of the woods. Harper feels a tear run down her face just as terrified as Carol. Lori looks at them. "Rick went after her okay?" Lori reassures Carol hugging her with Harper. _Please Rick! Bring her back!_ Harper says in her head fearing the worst.

Daryl trudges up with T-dog. He leans him up against a car than heads to the group crowding the guardrail. He looks at Harper for an answer and she shakes her head fighting tears to stay strong for the suffering mother in her arms. "Rick's gonna bring her back…you'll see Carol, just hang in there." Harper whispers to Carol reassuringly not knowing whether it was the truth or not, but she truly believed it.

.o.o.

The group waits and waits for Rick and Sophia to return. Harper sits with her arm around Carol on the end of a small car. Lori and Carl sit with them as they wait. Harper looks up at Daryl who stands on top of one of the cars looking out into the woods for them. He shakes his head seeing no sign of them. All of a sudden the group hears rustling coming from the bushes in the woods.

They watch as Rick climbs his way up the hill. "Lori!" He shouts to his wife. Harper notices that Sophia's not with him as he climbs up. She stands with Carol at the guard rail. Rick comes up and they all stare at him all wondering the same thing. Where is Sophia? Harper looks in Rick's eyes and they ask the same question. Where is Sophia? Carol's face begins to shrivel and fill with tears as she realizes.

"Where's Sophia?" Rick asks the group and they stand there speechless. Carol slowly starts to try and sob, but nothing comes out. Harper fights tears knowing what has happened. "She's not back yet?!" Rick says shocked and out of breath. Carol lets out a loud breath and starts to sob and cry slowly falling to the ground. Harper hugs her and finds tears come down her face. She hears Carl start to cry into his mother's arms.

The group stands silent and speechless without words as Carol's weak sobs fill the air. Harper holds onto her tight, a lump builds into her throat as she fights back from sobbing with her. Daryl glances at Harper than puts his head down sadly.

.o.o.

"Come on! Let's go!" Daryl shouts already heading down the hill into the woods as Harper, Shane, Glenn, and Rick say their good byes to the group before they can leave. "Carol, don't you worry, alright? I'll bring her back, I always do." Harper reassures Carol as she hugs her good-bye. Harper than let's go of Carol letting Lori take the scared mother into her embrace. She waves to the group than lifts her legs over the guard rail making her way down the hill to Daryl. Rick, Shane, and Glenn catch up with them.

"You sure you want to do this? I know you've come close to Carol and her. If we find her and she's—"Rick says, but is interrupted by Harper who doesn't want to hear it. "She's fine. We get her, bring her back to the highway, and get our sorry asses off the road. I always bring her back. Don't know why this time is any different." She tells him slightly angry at his theory that something might have happened. "Let's go before we loose day light. Rick take us to where you left her." Shane says and they follow Rick into the woods. The highway disappears behind them.

Daryl and Harper fall behind, but still follow the three men ahead. "We're gonna find her and bring her back." Harper tells him as he walks beside her with his crossbow at hand. "Yea we are. Don't know why the hell you're reminding me." Daryl says walking and looking through the trees. Harper smiles at the statement. "Get her to the highway and with all that fuel we can double back and hit that bypass. Clean cut through to Fort Binning." Harper says walking and peering through the trees. "Still don't see why you keep reminding me." Daryl says looking at her. "Yea well, I think I'm reminding myself mostly." She tells him.

Daryl looks at her concerned. "You don't think we'll find her?" Daryl asks her with a scorn expression on his face. She shakes her head. "No we're gonna find her, I don't have a doubt about that… it's just that whole thing about keeping hope alive. You repeat it so much to yourself and than eventually you'll start to believe it." Harper says with a solemn look on her face. They have an awkward silence than Daryl breaks it. "Well we're gonna find her and she'll be just fine." Daryl reassures Harper. She smiles. "Don't know why the hell you're reminding me." Harper quotes Daryl smiling at him as they near a creek. The three men in front of them slow down to a stop.

"This is where I left her." Rick says climbing into the creek with Daryl behind him. Rick points to some underbrush down in the shallow creek. Harper knows it will be hard to track if she stayed in the water. Daryl examines the underbrush. "Sure this is the spot?" Daryl asks Rick. "I left her right here. I took the walkers off in that direction up the creek." Rick says pointing up the creek. "She was gone by the time I got back here. I figured she just took off and ran back to the group. I told her to go that way and keep the sun on her left shoulder." Rick tells them and Shane starts to question Rick. "Kids tired and scared man, she had her a close call with two walkers, you gotta wonder how much of what you said stuck." Shane says as Daryl starts to search the bank.

Daryl looks up at Glenn. "Hey short round. Why don't you step off to one side? You're mucking up the trail. You too princess." Daryl looks at Harper and she looks down noticing tiny foot prints where she stands at the edge of the creek. Harper and Glenn follow orders and move. Daryl looks up the bank and points at it. "Clear prints right here. She did like you said. Headed back to the highway. Let's spread out. Make our way back." He tells Rick and they climb up the bank.

Harper takes Daryl's hand helping him climb out of the creek bed. "Come on, she couldn't of gotten far." Harper says as Daryl makes his way on land. "She'll be tuckered out hiding in a bush somewhere." Shane says. Harper looks down and sees the small tracks left on the forest floor. "This way?" She asks Daryl pointing at the tracks. He nods surprised that she could track. Little bits of details were slowly coming out about this woman.

They follow the tracks with no distraction and silence. Daryl finally stops and points at the ground. "She was doin just fine until right here. All she had to do was keep goin. She veered off that way." Daryl points in a direction. The group questions whether she was scared off by a walker, but Daryl debunks the theory quickly saying there are no other tracks, but hers. Shane looks at Rick. "So what do we do? All of us press on?" He asks Rick.

"No better if you, Harper, and Glenn get back up to the highway. People are gonna start panicking. Let them know we're on her trail doing everything we can. But most of all keep everybody calm." Rick says, but Harper protests. "I can't go back there with no Sophia at hand." Harper says shaking her head. "I told Carol I'd bring her back and if I don't she'll be mortified." Rick sighs knowing it's the truth. "Look I understand, but you've gotten close to Carol. You're the best to comfort her." Rick tells her putting a hand on her shoulder. "We got this." Rick looks at Harper and she nods than asks the cop "Yea but, what do I tell Carol?"

.o.o.

Shane, Glenn, and Harper stand at the edge of the woods huddled together. "Look… Glenn and I will go up first okay? You stay behind us to hold off some of her worry." Shane tells Harper who nods. "Let us talk a bit. Glenn will give the signal than come up." Harper nods once again and Shane pats her on the shoulder. He looks at Glenn than takes a deep breath before they walk up. Harper stays behind and watches the two men go up the hill and the rest of the group run to them. Shane takes Carol's hands and talks to her as tears come down her face. Glenn nods in Harper's direction and she reluctantly makes her way up the hill not knowing what she will say to the desperate mother.

Harper slowly climbs the hill as Carol looks over Shane's shoulder and sees her. Carol begins to sob seeing no Sophia. Harper rushes up the hill. She jumps over the guard rail to Carol slowly taking her in her embrace as the mother sobs. "Carol look at me." Harper says pulling her back. Carol stands and looks into Harper's strong eyes. "Daryl and Rick are on it okay? They couldn't have a whole bunch of us out there messing up the trail making it ten times harder to find her. She'll be back and in your arms before you know it."

Harper looks at Carol who still cries. Harper shakes the woman's shoulders. "You pull yourself together for your little girl, you hear? She doesn't need to see this crap when she comes back." Harper says harshly to Carol who tries to fight tears. "Now dry your eyes and let's get to work. We have to get this girl some new books. She's wearing me out with these same stories over and over again." Harper smiles at Carol. Carol laughs sobbing and Harper hugs her. The group stands back amazed at how Harper said what needed to be said.

.o.o.

"Any luck?" Harper asks Dale about the RV. "Still the same status." Dale tells her. "Any luck on books?" Dale asks Harper smiling. "Found a copy of Where the Wild Things Are and two copies of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, but that's about it. Sophia will like em though." Harper says smiling with a hint of sadness. Harper walks away and Andrea heads to Dale.

Harper sees them bantering, but ignores it and heads towards Carol who is standing at the edge of the highway like a watchdog. Harper herself is getting worried as the sky grows darker with no signs of Daryl, Rick, and Sophia. Harper walks to Carol and puts an arm around her shoulder. "They'll be back any moment, don't you—"Harper begins to say as another on cue moment happens.

They hear rustling in the bushes before seeing Rick and Daryl step out. "Oh my god they're back!" Glenn says and the group rushes to them. Harper's heart sinks as no sign of Sophia exists. She hears Carol let out a weak sob. "You didn't find her?" Carol cries weakly not being able to clearly say the words. Rick looks at Carol and Harper. "Her trail went cold. We'll pick it up again at first light." Rick tells them stepping over the metal guardrail. Harper stands in shock and disbelief. Daryl stays on the other side standing silent not knowing what to say.

Carol sobs in protest not wanting Sophia to spend the night in the woods. Harper and Lori try to comfort her, but Carol shrugs them off. Daryl's soft raspy voice finally breaks in. "Out in the dark's no good. We'd just be tripping over ourselves. More people get lost." Daryl tries his best to reassure her, but Carol sobs. "But she's 12. She can't be out there on her own. You didn't find anything?!" Carol sobs and the group tries to calm her. Lori and Harper rub her back as Rick puts down the information. Carol doesn't listen to a word he says as she eyes Daryl's pants. Harper looks at them and sees fresh blood on his knees.

"Is—is that blood?!" Carol asks panicked and breathing heavily. Daryl looks down seeing his pants, he too seeing it for the first time and not knowing what to say. Rick tells the group that they took down a walker and they all panic. "Walker? Oh my god." Carol breathes heavily and sits on the guardrail not being able to take it anymore. Harper and Lori sit with her. Rick looks at the emotional woman. "There was no sign it was ever anywhere near Sophia."

Harper panics slightly inside. She looks at the two men frantic. "How can you know that?!" Harper asks wanting some evidence. Daryl looks into her fearful blue eyes becoming accustomed to that look. "We cut the son of a bitch open. Made sure." Daryl reassures Harper and the group. "Oh my god." Carol repeats breathing heavy. Harper and Lori rub her back. Carol's face turns to Rick angry. "How could you just leave her out there to begin with? How could you just leave her?" Carol says harshly crying.

Rick tries to defend himself, but Carol keeps the blame on him. "How was she supposed to find her way back on her own? She's just a child." Carol sobs. "She's just a child!" Rick defends himself more, but Carol doesn't listen. "My little girl got left in the woods." Carol sobs taking in the reality. Harper feels a tear running down her cheek as Rick walks away in defeat.

.o.o.

The group wakes up exhausted in the morning still stuck on the highway for the search of Sophia. You can tell by looking at all their faces that none of them got much sleep, Carol especially. Harper sat up most of the night and even took watch, they were lucky. No walkers stumbled upon the highway unlike the herd that passed earlier in the day. The only walker they had was when they had to clean the RV of a dead walker that found Andrea, but got a screw driver in its eye. It was pretty messy leaving a stain on the old carpet.

Harper watches the staggering exhausted group gather around a hood of a car with Rick. Daryl walks up rubbing his eyes tiredly with his bow strapped to his back. He goes and stands next to Rick. Harper looks at him as he stands waiting for Rick to talk. "We're all gonna take the woods and search for Sophia, but first…" Rick says laying out a pack of Gerber knives. "Everybody takes a weapon."

"Who in the hell found these?!" Harper says excitedly picking up one of the knives examining it. Lori nods to Carl and smiles. Harper chuckles as he stands proud at his accomplishment. Harper rubs Carl's head. "Gerber's, good work little man." She smiles at him and he looks at his mother feeling proud. Harper looks at the long knife she chose out of the pack excited to be able to use it. Daryl watches her as she stares at the knife like it's a new toy. Harper continuing to surprise him on how much she knows about hunting and tracking. He knows she'll be a good hunting partner whenever they get a chance.

"These aren't the kind of weapons we need. What about the guns?" Andrea protests wanting her gun back that Dale had confiscated. "You were in Atlanta right?" Harper asks and Andrea nods. "Well you saw how big silence can matter. Like I said before Silence is the key." Shane and Rick back Harper up and tell Andrea about keeping the noise down that they can't have people popping off rounds every time a tree rustles.

"It's not the trees I'm worried about." Andrea says still protesting. Shane back fires with "Say somebody fires at the wrong moment. A herd happens to be passing by. See then its game over for all of us. So you need to get over it." Andrea angry remains silent as she reluctantly picks a knife.

They get on with their plans and Daryl speaks being the lead and expert for the search being the best tracker. "See the idea is to take the creek up about five miles. Turn around and come back down the other side. Chances are she'll be by the creek. It's her only landmark." Daryl says and Harper smiles assuring him he did well. Shane once again gets everybody moving to assemble their packs for the search.

Harper walks with Daryl to the old triumph to gather their stuff. Harper had kept her stuff close to it, Daryl being the only one she trusted not to mess with it. Although not agreeing totally with Andrea, she didn't want her pack sitting out where someone could go and confiscate her daddy's 45. Harper watches as Daryl looks through the compartments on the triumph fitting what ever weapons he had into his belt and sticking a knife in his boot. Harper looks through her pack and does the same. They don't carry packs only weapons, to get the job done.

"Not taking your pack?" Daryl asks concerned knowing his reasons on not carrying, but wanting to know hers. Harper scoffs. "Hell no, it'll slow us down. Plus you think I wanna hike 5 miles with a load on my back? If I need water or something I'm sure somebody will give me a drink of theirs before I pass out of dehydration and if not than I'm in the wrong group." Harper tells him and he smiles knowing they have the same reasoning. They walk back to the RV.

Once they get there they see the whole group stand and watching as Dale and Andrea argue about him saving her from the CDC. Harper grows angry knowing the time Andrea is wasting and how she is yelling at Dale who Harper had grown to like and respect. Finally the argument dies down. Harper goes up and pats Dale on the back.

Dale smiles. "Good luck out there. Bring Sophia back." Dale tells her and she nods. "You don't have to tell me twice." Harper says making Dale smile. She waves good-bye to an injured T-dog who is staying behind with Dale. Daryl stands at the edge of the highway waiting for her impatiently as the rest of the group starts to make their way over the rail. She walks to him. "Ready to bring her back?" She asks him as she starts over the rail. "Been ready." He tells her determined, jumping over the barrier. She than sees Carl.

Harper looks at Carl. "Didn't know you were coming." She tells him, but looks at Lori questioningly. Lori puts a hand on Carl's shoulder. "He wanted to help." Lori tells Harper. Carl looks up at her. "Sophia's my friend. I wanna find her." Carl says looking up at the two women. Daryl scoffs not agreeing with the idea of putting another kid into the woods. Harper ignores Daryl and encourages Carl. "Good thinking kiddo. We'll need the help." She says rubbing his head before catching up with Daryl who marches into the woods. The group follows Daryl's lead.

.o.o.

After the group has traveled about two and a half miles down the creek with no sign of Sophia they decide to stop and take a break. Daryl protests wanting to push forward, but the exhausted group doesn't listen to him. Harper watches him as he paces back and forth impatiently as the group takes out water bottles and canteens taking sips. She walks to him after making sure Carol's doing okay.

"Nice." She orders him to calm smirking. He stops and looks at her. "At the rate of these people we'll never find her. They're making to much noise, moving like slugs, plus we got another kid out in the woods waiting to get lost!" Daryl tells Harper in a hushed tone irritated with the group's effort. "They're a bunch of pansies." Daryl says harsh.

She shakes her head. "Patience." She reminds him smirking. "We've gotten a lot of ground covered. We'll have her back in no time." Harper says trying to calm him. "What are you my therapist or some shit?" Daryl bites at her. "No, but somebody's gotta be." She tells him as Rick butts in. "Daryl!" He says. "We're ready following your lead." Rick tells him as the group assembles. Harper looks at him and smiles. "I told you so." Harper whispers. He rolls his eyes at her. "Shut up."

The group continues to march through the woods Harper at Daryl's side. Daryl puts an arm in front of her issuing her to stop. She looks at him. He puts a finger to his mouth "Shhhh". He than points to a small tent sitting in a clearing. Rick and Shane come to the front and stand next to Harper. They watch as Daryl tries to get a peek into the tent with his knife ready, but he can't get a good enough view of what's inside. He looks at Rick. Rick calls for Carol and she runs up Harper putting her arms around the mother's shoulders.

"Call for her softly… if she's in there yours is the first voice she should hear." Rick tells Carol and she follows orders. She softly calls for Sophia, but the little girl never steps out. After waiting Rick and Shane walk up to Daryl for back up as Daryl slowly opens the tent. Soon as it unzips a god awful smell flows through the air making the three men gag, but Daryl pushes forward into the tent. "Daryl?" Harper calls out after him, after seeing the look on Carol's worried face. "It ain't her." Daryl says as he steps out Carol huffs a whine getting her hopes up.

"What's in there?" Harper asks Daryl as Lori takes Carol from her. "Some guy…. did what Jenner said 'opted out' ain't that what he called it?" Daryl says as all of a sudden they hear church bells ring through the air. Harper at first thinks she is crazy, but notices everyone is hearing it too. Rick points in the direction of the noise and runs they all follow him.

.o.o.

They run up the church steps with Daryl, Rick, and Shane at the front. Rick slowly opens the red doors of the church. They see three walkers sitting on benches, but no Sophia. Daryl hands Harper his crossbow and she hands him one of the Gerbers. The three leading men charge in to the church each taking out a walker, but Harper finds herself gazing at Daryl's arms as they flex when he slashes a woman walker in the head with the Gerber.

The group stands in the entrance to the church in shock. Rick screams for Sophia, her not being there. Harper watches Daryl walk up to Jesus on the cross. "Yo JC, you taking request?" He says catching his breath. Than all of a sudden the group hears the bells ring again. Daryl runs through them all outside to find the noise. Harper runs after him as he heads to the side of the building. She sees what he is staring at.

A speaker sticks off the side of the church. She runs to its box and turns it off as Daryl stands catching his breath. The group runs seeing it too. "Timer, its on a timer." He says breathing hard. Carol looks down upset. "I think I am gonna go back in for a bit." Carol says walking into the church. Harper sighs and walks to the small cemetery. "Harp? Where you going?!" Daryl runs up to her. "Gonna go sit for a bit and get some air… I can do it alone." She says walking by him fast. He turns around scoffing in defeat heading towards the church.

Harper finds a tree in the cemetery and sits leaning on it feeling as if she were Jim. She sighs in worry of Sophia and Carol's well being before she slowly shuts her tired eyes. Dreams of her father and brother dying fill her head making her want to scream, but she can't, but she is saved by Daryl Dixon's light kick and "Wake the hell up!" She looks back up from her slumber to see Daryl's dirt covered face and crossbow standing over her.

"We're about to move out again." Daryl tells her as the group joins them. He holds out a hand and helps her up. "Thanks." She tells him. Lori offers Harper a water bottle and she takes it without hesitation taking a swig. She hands it back to Lori mouthing a 'thank you'. Shane and Rick walk up and inform them that they are gonna stay behind and search the area while Daryl leads the group down the other side of the creek back to the highway. "Splitting us up? You sure?" Daryl says a little unsure of the plan, but Shane only agrees to go along with the plan.

Carl protests wanting to go with Rick and Shane. They come to a decision and let him go. Harper can't help, but worry about the children as the group splits and makes their way into the woods. She walks next to Daryl as they search the creek. He looks at her as she walks with her head down being able to tell something is bothering her. "You worried?" Daryl asks her and she looks at him and shakes her head. "No." She says and he scoffs. "You're a horrible liar." He smiles at her and she laughs.

She looks down smiling. "So what if I am?" She tells him. "Well you shouldn't be." Daryl tells her. "Don't think I can help it much." She looks down knowing she's not gonna stop worrying until they're driving down the highway with Lori and Carol holding their children. "You can help it, just think of other things." He tells her looking at her sincerely as they continue their march down the creek.

"Is that what you did with your brother?" She says and Daryl looks down a little bit upset. "No, never had to worry. Merle is Merle." Daryl says looking down. She smiles at him. "You know you're a horrible liar." They both laugh to themselves when all of a sudden they hear a shot ring through the air.

.o.o.

TO BE CONTINUED:

_**NEXT CHAPTER WHAT DO YOU MEAN CARL GOT SHOT?**_


	8. Chapter 8: Hanging by a Thread

_**HELLO LADIES AND GENTS! SORRY IT'S TAKEN SO LONG, BUT I'M A BUSY LADY AND ALL & I WANT TO TAKE MY TIME ON THIS NOT JUST DO IT HALF ASSED, SO LIKE I SAID SORRY FOR THE WAIT… ANYWHOO SO WE ENDED LAST CHAPTER WITH A RING OF A SHOT THROUGH THE AIR… AS YOU GUYS MAY HAVE GUESSED, THAT WOULD BE CARL'S LIL INCIDENT IN THE WOODS… GUESS WE WILL SEE HOW HARPER REACTS AND WHAT ALL IS GOING TO HAPPEN, APPRECIATE THE REVIEWS THAT I AM FINALLY GETTING, THANK YOU! BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN STOP… SO LIKE ALWAYS, REVIEW AND READ ON**_

_**LOVE**_

_**J**_

**SEASON 2 EPISODE 2: Bloodletting**

**CHAPTER 8: Hanging by a Thread**

_-We may not be able to prepare the future for our children, but we can at least prepare our children for the future._

~Franklin D. Roosevelt

"You still worrying about it?" Harper asks looking back at Lori who has stopped in the middle of their trek for Sophia. Lori looks absently through the woods as the group stops to look at her. Lori mentions the worried fact that it was indeed a gunshot the group had heard moments before. "We all heard it." Daryl says agitated knowing that this is slowing them down.

Lori keeps on the fact that it was a single shot even protesting when Daryl suggests that they might have took down a walker. It was a good attempt to try and calm her on the redneck's part, but it didn't do. The whole group knew very well that Rick or Shane wouldn't risk the noise. The group goes into a small panic once again, but Daryl finally speaks up. "There's nothing we can do about it anyway, can't run around these woods chasing echoes." Harper grins at the small sign of leadership coming from simple minded Daryl.

"So what do we do?" Lori asks a bit of desperateness lingering in her voice. Harper as well as everyone looks to Daryl the leader of their small search party and he answers them a bit uncomfortable with having to make the decision even if it was a small one. Daryl didn't want to be in the shoes of a leader, to much pressure and ass kissing for his taste. "Same as we've been… beat the bush for Sophia, work our way back to the highway."

They reassure Lori on the safety of her family continuing the hike, but are stopped once again to see Andrea speaking reassuring words to Carol. Harper grimly sighs. She doesn't like the tone of the group. They all sound like they are already comforting Carol for the death of Sophia not for her getting lost in the woods. She wants whole heartedly to slap both Andrea and Carol in the face and tell them to 'stop the charades, that the little girl is fine not dead and to stop acting like a bunch of pussies and have some damn faith' but as if he read her mind Daryl steps up just as irritated.

"I'll tell you what it's worth not a damn thing!" Daryl tells Andrea after she reassures Carol that 'we're all hoping and praying with you for what it's worth'. The group stands back shocked at his harsh statement but than he continues harsh but, soft. "It's a waste of time all this hop'n and pray'n… we're gonna locate that little girl and she's gonna be just fine." He looks at both Andrea and Carol angry than glances back at Harper who slightly smiles at him. He quickly looks back at the two women. "Am I the only one Zen around here? Good lord!" He turns around and walks leading the group.

Lori and Harper look at each other letting out a small playful laugh, out of ear reach from Daryl. The two women smile as Carol and Andrea join them letting out their own small laughs as well. Lori wraps her arms around Carol as they walk. Harper falls behind as she walks slowly thinking to herself about the gunshot. Even though she hadn't admitted it to the group, it had worried her more than hearing groans of walkers. She watches as Glenn slowly falls behind too so he can walk with her.

Harper looks at him with a bit of concern as she sees his face. He wants to say something, but is having trouble finding the words to say it. "What's on your mind Glenn?" She says holding Darlene and looking through the trees as they walk through the shallow leaves. "Well—I-I-was-I—"Glenn begins, but Harper can't take his stuttering any longer.

"Damn, spit it out already!" She tells him and he sighs. "That-that night at the CDC…" Glenn starts to say and Harper sighs. "I don't like where this is going do I?" She looks at him and he looks at her grimly. "Well did you sleep with him?!" Glenn asks a little too loud causing some of the women to look back, but Daryl marches forward absent minded. "What the hell Glenn?!" She says in a hushed voice startled by his loudness afraid that people would hear him.

"Well did you?!" Glenn says in a whisper. She looks at him in disbelief. "Are you kidding me?! Damnit you people are nosey! I mean what the hell?" She says scoffing angry at him. "Well?!" Glenn whispers still wanting an answer. "Well what the hell do you want the answer to be Glenn?!" She bites at him harshly. "I-I-I don't know, just didn't strike you as that type of girl." Glenn looks down hoping she won't bite off his head.

"Well the answer is I ain't that type of girl. So no… I didn't sleep with the jackass!" She yells at him a bit louder than she expected. They were out of ear reach from Daryl, but she was pretty sure by the silence of the women that they had heard the whole conversation. "Besides Glenn, Daryl? Daryl Dixon? The world hasn't gotten that bad has it?" She says playfully to Glenn making him smile, but for Daryl it was otherwise.

Hearing a talk like that could lower your confidence a bit. The two idiots had been talking loud enough that they might as well have been screaming for walkers. Daryl hadn't meant to eavesdrop, but it really couldn't be helped. The only thing he could do was hang his head and wipe the blow off his shoulder. Wasn't the first time. Girl's had said a lot worse in the past and he wasn't about to be a pussy and let this one get to him. Even if she was one of the only girls left.

.o.o.

They continue walking in dead silence for another half an hour with the sun starting to change, when Harper decides to break the silence. "How much farther?" She asks Daryl as they walk looking at him. The only response though she got from him was silence and him looking away from her into the woods. "Hey you mind answering my question?" She says grabbing his arm only to have him shake it off angrily. "Don't you touch me!" He says marching forward quickly. "Maybe a hundred yards…as the crow flies." He answers to the group more than her.

They all sigh wanting the walk to be over with. Harper still stands where she was when Daryl pulled his arm away, confused. The sudden change of mood in Daryl made her feel a little hurt. She had thought they were at least friends by now, but the way he acted put her in a stupor. _'What did I do?' _She thought in her head before Carol lightly put a hand on her back. "You ok?" Carol asks confused as to why she had stopped. "Yea let's get moving." She said quickly shaking her thoughts on the mysteries of Daryl Dixon. He was a definite puzzle that she wanted to solve and put back together.

All of a sudden shrill screams fill their ears. Harper recognizes that Andrea is out of sight and runs soon as she hears walker snarls. "ANDREA!" The group repeatedly shouts as they run through the woods towards the screams. Harper finally sees Andrea kicking at a walker fighting it, but not for long as a girl with short dark hair runs up with a horse taking the walker out with a bat. The girl then started yelling at Andrea. "LORI?! LORI GRIMES?!"

The group runs to the girl and Andrea as fast as they can. "I'm Lori!" Lori tells the girl as they near them. The girl tells Lori in a frantic and panicked voice that Carl has been shot and Rick needs her. Lori immediately drops her pack and goes to the horse. Daryl unsuccessfully tries to stop her. "Whoa whoa whoa! We don't know this girl! You can't get on that horse!" Daryl yells at Lori who only gets on the horse not having heard any words besides 'Carl's been shot'. "Daryl's right! Lori?!" Harper tries, but fails. The girl on the horse ignores them and tells them where her farm is located and that they're the Greene's before riding off with Lori.

Harper stands next to the now dead walker as they all watch Lori disappear from view. All of a sudden Harper hears low groans come from the walker that lies beside her as it tries to get up. "Daryl!" Harper gasps as she springs away from it behind Daryl lightly grasping his shoulder. He aims his crossbow angrily before sending an arrow into its skull.

"Shut up!" Daryl says annoyed. Harper's not sure whether the 'shut up' was meant for her or the walker as Daryl shrugs her off and stomps away. The group stands in shock at recent events while Daryl just walks away unphased. The rest of the group goes to Andrea and helps her up while Harper grabs Daryl's arrow out of the dead walker's head. Once gathered up the group follows Daryl their unstable leader.

.o.o.

Harper once again treks up the hill on the side of the highway towards Dale. "Carl! It's Carl he's been shot!" She yells up to Dale. "Shot what do you mean shot?!" Dale says concerned as they make their way over the guardrail. Glenn is the first and relays all the information to Dale and how Lori was took by a girl on a horse. Dale grows angry as Harper makes her way over the guardrail glaring at Daryl.

"And you let her?!" Dale says shouting at the younger Dixon. Daryl makes his way over the rail. He shoots Dale daggers. "Climb down out of my ass old man!" Daryl says shoving past them not making any eye contact. "Rick sent her. She knew Lori's name and Carl's." Daryl moves past them and Harper follows him as he storms off. "Daryl wait!" Harper says running to catch up with him. She grabs his shoulder and he whips around smacking her hand. "What the hell do you want?!" Daryl bites getting in her face.

"Want to know what the hell your problem is." Harper says getting into his face and not backing down. Daryl scoffs. "Just go! Scurry along and talk to your little Asian, why don't ya stead of bothering me!" Daryl had let it get under his skin and regretted it as Harper came back with a puzzled look. "Shit…. Daryl I'm so—"Harper says realizing he had heard her, but is interrupted by Daryl who turns around not wanting to hear her. "Damn bitch!" He stomps away once again making Harper feel like an ass.

She breathes heavily trying to take in everything. _'Sophia's gone, Carl's been shot, and now you've screwed up the only friendship you probably had a chance at. Way to go Harper Murphy you've really screwed the pooch on this one.' _She thought to herself as she fought tears. _"Don't be such a god damn pussy!"_ Sam's voice echoed through her head as she sucked it up, but felt a familiar hand on her shoulder as she looked up to see Dale.

"Dear you okay?" He said looking at her concerned seeing her troubled face. She stays silent and Dale turns her to look at him. "Please don't tell me you got attacked to." He says slightly smiling. She lets out a grim smile and shakes her head. "Well than what's wrong?" He says leading her back to the RV. "Well first off some of the only children left are both sitting on death's door…" She fights back tears as her voice quivers at the thought of Carl and Sophia being harmed. "Th-then there is-is…" She pauses thinking about how she probably made Daryl feel as Dale runs a hand up and down her back. "I made an ass of myself again."

"Daryl again?" Dale asks looking into her blue saddened eyes. The look of her eyes gives him his answer. "That boy gets to ya doesn't he?" Dale asks her and she quickly shakes her head. "No, No! It's just—"She begins to say, but Dale laughs at her knowing the truth. She nudges him on the shoulder playfully. "Shut up!" She laughs.

Dale smiles, but is serious when he talks to her giving her his great advice. "Dear don't let the boy get under your skin." He says placing a hand on her shoulder. "Yea well, don't think he was the one to get under my skin… more like me getting under his." She says sighing. Dale gives her a look of 'explain please' and she does so.

"Glenn and I were talking during the search about the night at the CDC and-and he wanted to know if me and Daryl had-had… well you get the point, and I told him the truth 'no' and I talked to him and joked around and made it seem like Daryl was the most revolting person I could ever think to sleep with." She confesses to Dale looking down in shame. "Little did I know Glenn and I aren't the best at whispering because the whole group heard us including Daryl."

Dale nods understanding her situation. "I feel like shit!" She says kicking the RV. Dale puts his hands on her shoulders. "Hey! Hey! Hey! No need for that!" Dale calms her. "Well this whole thing has turned to hell, Dale!" Harper slides down the Winnebago sighing sadly with Dale joining her. "I'll I do is screw up… been doing it since before the world went to hell don't know why I thought it would be different now." She tells Dale not sure why, but he felt like a person she could confide in and open up to. Dale seemed like the father she never had.

Once again she finds herself placing her head on her knees and Dale sighing as he rubs her back. "I'm a complete ass, Dale. You guys are saints for putting up with my crap." She tells him, her voice muffled by her knees that she was busy burying her face into. "Hey you can't think like that." Dale's kind voice soothes her ears making her raise her head to look at him. "If you were as big of an ass as you think you are… would you be here now? Feeling sorry for Daryl?" Dale digs into her soul making her feel good inside and building a lump into her throat.

"If you were a total 'ass'… I wouldn't be sitting here right now talking to you." Dale gives her a reassuring smile. Harper holds back grateful tears and returns him a smile grateful to finally have a father figure in her life. Her worries are pushed away as Dale gets up and holds out a hand. "Now we gotta make some plans and get those children back." Dale says smiling a grim smile as she takes his hand and he pulls her up.

She walks with the wise old man to where Andrea, Glenn, and Carol stand waiting for Daryl their makeshift leader to come and tell them the plans. They stop once they reach the small group of three. T-dog steps out of the RV with sweat dripping from his forehead and a blanket draped around his shoulders. "T? How's the arm?" Harper looks at him worried at his sickly appearance. "Great! It's just fine!" T-dog says smiling and delirious before going to the end of the RV and leaning against it. They all look his direction concerned before hearing quick steps coming their way.

Harper turns to see Daryl stomping their way with his head down and making no eye contact making her feel worse. Dale senses it and rest a hand on her shoulder. Once Daryl has joined the congregation Dale speaks up. "We have to pack and go to this farm… regroup." Dale says causing immediate horror to spread across Carol's face. "I won't do it. We can't just leave."

Dale shakes his head. "Carol the group is split…" Dale tries to coax her into leaving the highway the last place any of them besides Rick had seen her daughter. "But what if she comes back and we're not here! It could happen." Desperation flows from Carol's mouth as she fears that the group will abandon Sophia. Harper sighs and heads to Carol's side wrapping her arms around her.

Harper looks to the small group over Carol's head as Andrea speaks. "If Sophia found her way back and we were gone—"Andrea begins to say, but Harper finishes the grim statement for her. "That would be awful. We can't go." Harper says looking to Daryl's icy blue eyes so that he would back her up. He nods sensing the sadness in Harper. Even though she was an utter bitch to him he knew she was right. He looks at the rest of the group. "Okay… We gotta plan for this." Daryl says looking to Harper as she mouths a 'thank you' to him.

Daryl's kinder and softer side shows as he volunteers to stay behind with the RV for the night in case she comes back. Dale immediately decides if the Winnebago is staying so is he. Carol thanks the two men before Andrea decides to stay too. Harper looks at them all. "Think it's pretty much a given that I am staying too." Harper says hugging Carol as tears rim the mother's eyes. Glenn shoots up wanting to stay after hearing Harper is staying also, but Dale knocks him down saying that he needs to get T-dog to the Greene's farm for some help. Dale informs them of T-dog's critical condition adding another problem to Harper's list.

Not expecting it Harper had grown to love the dysfunctional group and cringed at the idea of any of them being hurt. The idea that she had caused Daryl's hurt made her feel some pain, not wanting to be the cause of one of her group's misfortune. As Dale continues to make her cringe as he talks about T-dog's state she notices Daryl walk away to Merle's triumph and dig through the saddlebags. It's not long before the whole group notices him too. He grabs some dirty rags off the bike and pulls out a Ziploc bag as he walks back to the small meeting.

He glares at Dale before throwing the rags at him. "Keep your oily rags off my brother's motorcycle!" Daryl tells the old man before heading to a car and placing the bag on the abandon car's hood. Harper walks to him and sits on the hood beside the bag to see its contents. She is surprised, but not surprised to see it I full of pill bottles with the name 'Merle Dixon' printed on the sides.

"Why did you wait till now to say anything? Got my brother's stash." Daryl says as if everyone should know about Merle's hidden supply of 'convenient medicine'. Harper picks up bottles reading various labels as Daryl sorts through them all for the proper ones to give to the injured group member. "Merle must've had a lot of health issues huh?" Harper smirks as Daryl only slightly glances at her as she waves a bottle at him. He takes it from her and tosses it to Dale. "Oxycycline, not the generic stuff neither. It's first class." He tells Dale.

He looks to Harper to explain the medication. "Merle got the clap on occasion." He tells her as he walks off. They all shed a small laugh at his statement and at the fact that they can now help their friend.

.o.o.

"Here T…" Harper says handing T-dog a pill and a bottle to take it down with. "This will help courtesy of Merle Dixon." She says smiling at him reassuringly. T-dog rolls his eyes as he takes the pill down sighing in pain cause of his injured arm. She pats his back. "You're gonna be ok bud." She tells him and he nods. "Don't worry about me, worry bout' those kids." T-dog says looking into her eyes sincerely. She nods. 'Every minute." She tells him before going to Glenn who is at Carol's Cherokee.

The group has packed him and T-dog some supplies for their trip to the farm. She watches as he puts a knife into his belt and makes sure he has everything. "Here." She says throwing him the bottle of oxycycline. "Take care of him." Harper tells him as he places the pills in the car. "We'll be fine, farm's are always fun right?" Glenn says smiling playfully. Harper hugs him.

"You never know they might have a pretty girl for ya." Harper smiles to her friend. "I think I am fine in the pretty girl department." Glenn says laughing as they release their hug. She smiles at him. "Just be safe. Alright?" She tells him like a mother hen. "Always." He tells her as they hug again. She likes having Glenn as a friend and knows that he, most likely, always will be. She would probably never think of him any more than just a friend, but she would never tell him that knowing it would crush his spirits. She had already done that to one friend already and that was enough.

They than hear the sound of footsteps approach as they turn to see Dale, Andrea, and Carol escorting T-dog to the car and place him in the passenger sit. They all hug Glenn good-bye. "Be good kiddo." Dale tells the young Asian as he hugs him. After he is released from Dale's grip he climbs into the driver's seat of Carol's car and turns around driving the car in the direction the girl on the horse had told them the farm was in. They all watch as their two friends disappear, not knowing what is to come.

.o.o.

"Carol I'm so sorry… we'll find her. It's just gonna take some time." Harper comforts a sobbing Carol as she lies on the RV couch watching the sky fade into night. "I keep hearing that." Carol's soft voice quivers through her cries. Carol turns away from Harper facing the window to sob. Harper sighs in defeat as she stands up. "You'll see Carol." Harper says before leaving the back of the RV and heading to the front where Daryl and Andrea sit at the table eating a small can of beans. Dale sits at the front with a guitar on his lap.

Harper heads to him. "How is she?" Dale whispers to Harper. "Scared… just like the rest of us. She'll be fine though once Sophia gets back." Harper says hopefully to Dale. He smiles at her and she returns it eyeing the acoustic on his lap. "Nice guitar." She says pointing to it. Dale smiles at her. "It's not mine. Found it on the road figured I'd give it to Glenn. See if he played." Dale tells her and she reflects on the times when Sam had first taught her some of her first chords. "I play." She says bluntly gently taking the guitar and putting the strap around her.

"Really?" Dale asks in shock as she begins to tune the old guitar. "Yea… my brother Sam taught me when I was a kid. Even had a small garage band at one point could sing a bit to go along with it." She laughs thinking back to a much more simpler time. Daryl and Andrea start to pay attention to the conversation. "Well go on then." Daryl tells her as he looks into her blue eyes. "What?" She looks at him wide eyed. "Sing for us." He nods at the guitar. Fear creeps up into her eyes as she starts to hand the guitar back to Dale. "No no no… not happening. I ain't that good anyways." She says trying to hand Dale the guitar back, but he only shrugs it away.

"Come on. You ain't afraid of some walking dead bastards, but you're telling me you got stage fright?" Daryl says and she glares at him putting the guitar down. "No won't do it." She says shaking her head and he smirks. "Just what I thought…" He says before whispering _"Pussy!"_ Andrea and Dale laugh a bit and Dale nudges her to sing. She looks at all of them than rolls her eyes at Daryl. "Fine, but I warned you… this could be more dangerous than a walker." She laughs than picks the guitar back up and strums a few chords.

Harper looks to Daryl as she sings wanting badly to apologize to him. _'False, False have you been… to me m love. How often have you changed your mind?' _She looks at the rednecks blue eyes as he sits and listens to her. She sees past the redneck that he portrays and knows that there is actually a decent human that he has got chained up. She continues with the song her fingers brushing each chord of the guitar delicately as she pours her out into the song hopefully unchaining Daryl's inner human.

'_I'm afraid you're no more mine…' _She sings and watches as Daryl softens and slightly smiles in his own way. She was cracking him and she knew it. _'I was lifting warm water from beneath the cold clay… and against the stream I was rowing.'_ She looks over and sees Carol standing by the RV bathroom now listening with dried eyes and a small smile. Harper smiles as she sings knowing how much music has an affect on people and realizing how much she had missed it.

'_False, false have you been to me my love… How often have you changed your mind? But since you've gone and left me, for another fair one… I'm afraid you're no more mine.' _Harper finishes the Irish song looking at the small group who has all gained smiles on their faces. Andrea showing her first smile since Amy had died. Harper hides a huge grin on her face happy to be the cause of their joy instead of their pain, especially when she sees the smile on Daryl's face as he gazes at her.

"Not half bad." Daryl says causing her cheeks to grow slightly red. "Really something Harper, I haven't heard music in ages." Dale tells her placing a hand on her shoulder. "Yea princess didn't know you could sing." Daryl says looking at her. She smiles placing the guitar on the table. "Told you once before, there's a lot of things you don't know about me." She looks at him grinning than to Dale. "You guys can rest… think I'll take watch." She tells them. Dale looks at her concerned. "You sure?" Dale asks her placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Yea… don't sleep much anyways." Harper tells the old man. He nods than hands her, his rifle. "If you're going, take this. You know how to use it?" He asks Harper as she takes the rifle. She checks to see if it's loaded than clicks it to show she knows what she is doing. "Yea didn't grow up in my family and not know how to work this." She says laughing than heading to the RV door. "Night." She tells the group as Dale hugs her goodnight. She than leaves the comfort of the Winnebago and steps into the cold night.

Immediately the cold night air hits her making her shiver under her thin red flannel. She wishes she had grabbed a blanket before leaving the RV knowing how cold the Georgia nights can get. Harper soon finds herself walking towards the back of the Winnebago to climb up the ladder, but is stopped upon hearing the RV door swing open. "Yo Harper, wait!" Daryl says running out of the RV. She watches as the redneck jogs over to the old triumph and takes a bundle off the back of it and runs over to her. He holds out the bundle that proves to be his blanket she had slept with nights before in camp. "Here it's cold as hell out."

He shoves the blanket to her, but she refuses to take it. "I can't Daryl." She tells him feeling guilty over what she had said earlier in the day. "God damnit, just take it all ready so I can get inside." He says annoyed as he forces it in her arms. "So after all that I said you're still gonna let me take your blanket?" She asks him confused at his generosity knowing she doesn't deserve it. "It's what we do." Daryl tells her before turning to the RV to head back in. "No Daryl, It's what you do." She tells him making him stop to look at her. She looks into his blue eyes as they shine in the moonlight.

"You're a good guy Daryl. Don't you let somebody like me tell you other wise. Hell, I'm some big talk and all, but truth is you'd be a pretty nice step up compared to the guys I used to get." Harper pauses and looks down at the blanket saddened by her past. "A really nice step up."

Daryl looks at her in disbelief. "Trust me a girl like you wouldn't be near a guy like me, unless I was drunk till next Thursday." Daryl looks at his feet as he scuffs them on the ground nervously. "You wouldn't want noth'n to do with me, just a waste of time." Daryl says starting to chew on his nails, something Harper had noticed as a habit he had. She feels guilty hearing his words knowing she probably caused some of the doubt he had in himself.

"Daryl look at me… you really think I give a shit about all that?" She tells him as she walks closer to him. "You'd be surprised, women don't always like the guy who's tough and can show off his motorcycle and how many shots he can do before passing out on the floor." She says smiling at him. He smirks. "Try telling Merle that." He laughs to himself and she lets out a small smile. "I think you could try telling Merle a lot of things, just don't think it would work out." They both laugh at her statement. She puts her hand on his shoulder and meets his gaze. They both look at each other before Harper breaks the silence.

"Get some rest, we gotta big day tomorrow." She turns around and heads to the ladder with the blanket, but stops mid way. "Thanks for the blanket, 'again'." She smiles than continues to the ladder. Daryl stops her though when his rough voice speaks up. "Hey Harper?" Daryl looks at her as she turns around. "Yea?" Harper turns to him as he stands by the door. "We're cool." He says making her smile before he enters the RV and she climbs the ladder.

She wraps herself in Daryl's warm blanket as she curls up in Dale's lawn chair with the shot gun. She takes in the blanket's warmth and Daryl's familiar musky scent soothing her. Her problem with Daryl had vanished and she was relieved, but as she looks into the woods the thought of Sophia's second night alone in the woods and Carl lying in a stranger's bed with a gunshot wound makes her mind go crazy. She had definitely not done that great of a job at being the protector of the children. She had failed them like she had done most things, but these kids were something she didn't want to fail at.

Not that long had passed before she heard the RV door swing open and steps coming up the ladder. She watches as Dale's hat peeks up over the top of the ladder and he makes his way to the top with another lawn chair at hand. "Couldn't sleep?" Harper asks him smiling as he unfolds the chair next to her. "To busy in there if you ask me." Dale says. "Carol crying and Andrea playing with her gun is enough to bother me for the night." Dale says smiling at her and she smiles back. "So you trust Andrea to have her gun back now?" Harper looks at the old man who sighs. "I'm damned if I do and damned if I don't." Dale tells her.

"Sorry, messed up situation she'll come around though." Harper tells her wise old friend as she stares off in the woods. A big grin spreads across Dale's face as he recognizes Daryl's blanket wrapped around her. "Well I see Daryl's came around." Dale nods at the blanket. Her face grows red a bit. "We're cool now." She smiles nodding. "Speaking of the devil, you left him in there with Andrea and Carol? You think you're losing your mind, he's probably close to joining us as well right about now." Harper laughs. They laugh even harder when she proves to be right and they hear the RV door slam open.

They see a flash light shine in the night before hearing the door come open again. "I'm coming too." She hears Andrea's voice and heads to the edge of the RV and looks down at Daryl. "I'm going for a walk. Shine some light in the forest. If she's out there, give her something to look at." Daryl tells her looking up. "Here I'll go, can't have you out there by yourself." Harper says about to head to the ladder, but is stopped by Andrea. She didn't even hardly notice the blonde standing next to the dirty redneck.

"No I'm going… need some fresh air." Andrea says looking at Daryl up and down. Harper didn't know if Andrea was checking him out or just glancing at him, but she felt jealous all of a sudden at the fact that Andrea and Daryl would be alone in the woods together._ 'Wait—wait a second' _Harper thought to herself. _'Did I just get jealous?' _Dale protests the two going out there, but is shut down by Andrea almost immediately. Daryl nods to Harper and waves before him and Andrea disappear through the tangle of abandoned cars.

She feels slightly worried as she watches her friends disappear down the highway, but her attention is diverted as Dale puts his hand on her shoulder. "He'll be okay." Dale tells her with a smirk on his face. She scoffs nervously. "Me? Being worried about Daryl? Ha! You're funny old man." She tells him going back to sit in her chair. Dale joins her. "I may be old, but I'm not dumb. I saw your face when he left—"Dale says in a 'matter of fact' way before Harper bites at him. "And I saw your face when Andrea left."

"Exactly…" Dale says grinning. "It's the face of someone who cares." Dale looks into her eyes with his look of 'you know I'm right'. Harper scoffs nervously. "You really think I care about that damn fool? I care about having to go out on another search party for those two and that's it." Harper makes an excuse up, but Dale doesn't buy it.

He starts laughing and throws his hands up. "Alright! Whatever you say." Dale says sarcastically. Harper shoots him daggers. "I don't care about Daryl Dixon and that's final old man." Harper looks off into the woods, ignoring Dale's small laughs, watching for Sophia or Daryl to walk out of them… safe.

.o.o.

Harper having fallen asleep while staring into the woods wakes up to someone climbing the RV ladder. She looks over to see Carol's tear stained face peek over the RV. She shoves Daryl's blanket off her and makes her way to the ladder to help her friend up it. Carol takes Harper's trustful hand as Dale walks from his chair to her concerned. "Can't sleep?" Dale asks her. "I'm gonna wait for them to come back, you guys can go down and sleep if you want to." Carol informs them as she stables herself on the metal roof. Dale looks at Harper than to Carol. "No we can keep watch together."

Harper shakes her head. "Actually I think I'm going to head down and have a walk, think a bit you know." Harper looks at them. "Harper I'm not sure—"Dale goes to protest, but Harper cuts him off. "I'm a big girl. I can handle on my own, I was living in Atlanta, I'll be fine." Harper reassures the two with a kind smile. "You sure?" Carol asks her meekly. Harper nods. "Don't worry about me, we got more important things to worry about." Harper hugs her friend than grabs Daryl's blanket and heads towards the ladder. She makes her way down the old metal ladder.

Harper finds herself heading into the RV to first get her pack, but exits with it and the guitar Dale had found. She heads towards the array of dead and abandoned cars, the moon being her only light. "No search parties!" She hears Dale call out to her as a good-bye. She smiles and waves bye to him and Carol perched on the Winnebago before walking deep into the herd of cars.

She walks through the cars with the smell of dead in the air from the poor souls who never made it off the highway. Even with dead in the air she looks up at the Georgia sky and it was pure as ever. Millions of stars shined through the darkness making her smile. "This beautiful of a night should be enjoyed." She says to herself wrapping Daryl's blanket around her to block out the cold almost wishing he was there. She glides her fingers on the guitars neck and eyes a car a few feet away.

Harper heads to the car and gets up on the hood before climbing to the roof. She sits down with the guitar and Daryl's blanket around her. Her hands make their way to the guitar chords and soothe her. She had missed this so much. Music was always her way of escaping anything. Whether it be a walker or her father's fist music was there. Her eyes become glassy with tears as she plays the chords to the song her mother use to sing.

'_The leaves fall from trees like gold… and I tell you that I love you so. The river sings it's time to go… what lies ahead we'll never know.' _Harper sings looking into the endless night. Praying while she sings that her friends will be alright, but than she hears an all too familiar sound. A lustful gurgling groan comes from behind her a few feet away.

She sets her guitar down gently beside her and trades it for Darlene. She sings one more time before doing what needs to be done. _'With an angel watching over me…' _She sings as she takes one look into the walker's yellow eyes. With one swift swing of her newly named bat she knocks out the walkers knees making it fall. _'…your love has brought me to my knees.' _

.o.o.

Daryl returns to the highway with the annoying ass blonde at his heels. He wishes he had taken Harper instead so than at least his pain in the ass would be easy to look at. "So you guys-you guys didn't do it?" Andrea asks him as the make their way up the hill to the highway. "What fucked?" Daryl asks the annoying stuttering blonde. Andrea looks at him shocked than shakes her head giggling. "Yea." She says with a smile.

"No we didn't fuck. The girl was drunk off her ass so let her have my bed, slept on the couch. Dumb princess took my only chance at sleeping in a real bed." Daryl tells her as they make their way into the tangle of cars. "Why you damn people so nosy? Hell you don't care about me and the girl's new so what's so god damn important?" Daryl says irritated at the constant prying of the group. "You're part of the group, Daryl. We can care about your relationships." Andrea exclaims to him like she knows it all. Daryl scoffs. "Hell, don't see you guys questioning Lori and Shane." Daryl bites at her as he points his flashlight the RV coming into view.

"That's different Daryl." Andrea tries to explain. "Juicier gossip than a redneck having a one night stand." Daryl snaps back leaving her without a come back as they get closer to the RV. They watch as Carol heads into the RV crying, having seen them without Sophia. "Great, more waterworks." Daryl scoffs as he makes his way to the RV. He looks up and sees that Harper is no longer on the roof, only Dale. "Hey old man! Where's the princess?!" Daryl shouts up to Dale who looks concern. "She's no with you?" Dale asks him worried and shocked. "What the hell do you mean?! She ain't with me!" Daryl yells growing angry. "Where the hell is she Dale?!"

"She said she was going for a walk when she didn't come back I assumed she was with you." Dale informs Daryl becoming very worried. "She's gone?" Andrea says concerned. "Shit! What direction did she go?!" Daryl says yanking out his crossbow and when Dale points his finger he makes a dead on sprint.

He runs through the cars, but sees no sign of her, the asphalt making it impossible to track her. The only lead he's got is the direction Dale pointed. He breathes heavily looking through the cars panicked not wanting another life in this group hanging by a thread. He starts to become panicked when he sees fresh blood on the pavement.

Hard to tell whether it was walkers or Harper's in the dark, but he knew it was recently spilled. He walks fast following the blood when his worry is blown away by the soft strums of a guitar. He slowly lowers his loaded crossbow as he nears a blood spattered car. A walker hangs out of the passenger door. Daryl observes the scene and it looks like the walker has had its head smashed several times in the door, than he sees the top of the car where music fills his ears.

'_We kissed under the tired moon… and the stars shone down for me and you. We listen for the cock to crow… Come break of day you had to go.' _Daryl places his crossbow on his back hearing her voice and knowing she's ok. The singing stops, but the guitar continues to strum. "You know it's not polite to sneak up on people." She tells him not even bothering to look at him. He is surprised that she even knew he was there. "Yea seems you taught this dirty bastard some manners." Daryl says kicking the dead walker with his heel.

Harper puts her guitar away as Daryl climbs up. He looks at her. "No keep playing… it's too damn quiet." Daryl tells her as he sits beside her on his blanket. The small cars roof popping under their weight. She picks up the guitar and smiles shaking her head. "Singing for the walkers." He looks at her and nudges her shoulder issuing her to play. "Didn't stop you before I got here."

She sighs and strums the guitar to finish her childhood song. _'Well I've loved you and I wish it so. Wherever you decide to go… Yes I've loved you well and I wish it so. Wherever you decide to go.' _Harper sings to the night and to the Dixon brother sitting beside her. She stares into his blue eyes shining in the night as a smile forms on his face as the song really gets going.

'_I didn't want to let you leave. I didn't want to tell you no. Cos I know how to make you feel, and I don't wanna let you go.' _Harper smiles as she sees the redneck actually look happy for once. She sings the chorus one more time before ending it in a whisper. _'Come back to me.' _Harper sets down her new guitar laughing as Daryl applauds and cheers. "Damn, you got some lungs." Daryl compliments her making her face go red. "Yea well it don't do me no good now." She says sorrowfully wishing she had taken the opportunity to make something of herself before the world went to shit.

"Hell with those lungs you can scream and I'll come running." Daryl nods. "They do ya some good." Daryl looks at her smiling and she laughs. "Dixon, my redneck in shining armor." They both laugh at her statement. Daryl rubs the back of his neck nervously as he stops laughing. "We should probably head back." Daryl tells her. She lays her head on his shoulder. "It's a beautiful night Dixon. Why don't you sit and enjoy it." She smiles up at him as he looks into her light baby blue eyes.

He shrugs her off of his shoulder feeling uncomfortable before jumping down off the roof. He holds his hand out to her. "Come on princess, before they let out a search party."

She rolls her eyes and gathers her stuff. "You're starting to sound like the old wise man." Harper tells him referring to Dale. Daryl continues to hold his hand out, but she doesn't take it. She only moves it out of the way so she can climb down on her own. "Come on." She says handing him back his blanket before kicking the dead walker and walking away. Daryl follows at her heels with the blanket bundled in his arms.

.o.o.

"Where the hell have you two been?" Andrea calls out to them from atop of the RV as they return. "None of your damn business." Daryl tells her as he heads into the Winnebago ahead of Harper. Andrea raises a questioning brow at Harper. Harper already recognizes the suspicious look. "Nothing happened." Harper tells the prying blonde. "Any walkers?" Andrea asks worried. "One." Harper tells her as she stares at her blood covered clothes. "You got watch?" Harper asks her, feeling tired and wanting some shut eye.

Andrea nods. "Yea you go get some sleep." Harper mouths a 'thank you' to her and opens up the RV. Dale's snoring enters her ears making her smile as she sees him asleep in the laid back driver's seat with a blanket. She walks further into the Winnebago seeing Daryl's Horton lying peacefully on the counter. She hears Daryl shuffle out of the small RV bathroom. He zips up his pants as he steps out. "Had to piss." He explains to her pointing to the bathroom. She laughs. "No because I thought you were just hanging out in there for the hell of it." She says sarcastically and smiles as she moves past him.

She goes to where Carol is sleeping quietly. Harper sees the dry tears on her face that she had cried herself to sleep with. Harper sighs as she moves a blanket over the grieving mother's shoulders and kisses her on the forehead. "Glad that the crying is gone. Kinda depressing you know?" She says turning around to Daryl. "Yea well now we got him." Daryl nods to Dale's snores at the front of the RV. Harper smiles as she moves past him to the RV booth. "Night Daryl." She chuckles.

She heads to the booth as Daryl lies down on the old stained carpet of the RV floor. She stops dead in her tracks though as she eyes a small purple book bag lying in the seat, small pink letters spread across the front.

_Sophia P._

Harper's eyes get glassy as she picks up the bag and sits it on the table. She pulls out from the tiny pack 'Green Eggs and Ham' and sits in the booth with her back to the RV wall and her knees curled to her chest. She opens the book and reads with a sad smile. "I do not like them here pr there. I do not like them anywhere. I do not like green eggs and ham. I do not like them Sam-I-am." Harper's voice quivers as she reads and she feels a tear run down her dirt covered cheek.

"What the hell?" Daryl says looking up from his spot on the floor. She stifles a cry from escaping and turns her head so Daryl can't see her when he gets up. He looks at her and she meets his gaze. He watches as a tear rolls down her solemn face. He sighs. "Damn not you too." He says sliding into the booth next to her as she begins to sob not being able to control herself. She feels a familiar hand brush over her cheeks knocking tears away. She laughs through quivers of tears slightly embarrassed.

He takes the book from her and looks at it. "You're crying over 'Green Eggs and Ham'?" He asks her smiling. His charms making her laugh through sobs. "Here I've never read it… why don't you show me?" He holds out the book opening it to the first page on the table. "I can't… not like this." She says through quivers, the book she was supposed to read to Sophia having a major impact on her. "Fine then." Daryl says getting up.

Harper assumes he is going to lie back on the floor, but instead he grabs his blanket and drapes it around her. "Guess I'm just gonna have to read it to you." She looks at him shocked as he picks up the book of the table and sits close to her. "What?!" She says looking into his blue eyes. "You heard me. Now relax princes while Daryl reads you a bed time story." Daryl says smiling as she rolls her eyes. He brushes a few stray tears away from her delicate face as she lays her head on his bare shoulder.

"I am Sam…" Daryl begins as Harper curls into a ball by his side taking in his body heat and the warmth of the blanket. It's not long after Daryl starts reading that Harper's eyes get heavy and sleep finds her. Daryl's firm shoulder making a good resting place for the night as his rough but soft voice reads her to sleep.

.o.o.

TO BE CONTINUED:

_**NEXT CHAPTER WELCOME TO THE GREENE FAMILY FARM**_

_**~O~**_

_**So hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Thanks go to all my reviewers… you know who you are. I will try to be better at getting chapters posted quicker, but I can't make any promises. So little sparks in this chapter with Daryl and Harper. They're evolving! Finally! Yay! This chapter was fun to write and I'm sorry that not that much happens, but wanted to get it in good detail and it was starting to get too long :p **_

_**Who knew Harper could sing! For all of you wondering the two songs in this Chapter are real Irish songs sung by beautiful Cara Dillon. Harper has an Irish background, so most songs you'll hear her sing will be Irish. I have Irish ancestry so I wanted that to fall into her character, plus it will help her relate better with the Greene's in the near future. The song titles I'll have listed below so you can look them up on youtube if you want they're really pretty and it will help you visualize the scene more if you do. **_

_**So Review guys love feedback as always and I will definitely try to post quicker.**_

_**LOVE, J**_

**SONGS:**

**1****ST**** SONG: **_False, False by Cara Dillon_

**2****nd**** SONG: **_I Wish You Well by Cara Dillon_

**TRIVIA:**

~ Glenn has a huge crush on Harper (If you couldn't tell) and is jealous of Daryl, but his feelings will soon change in the near future, _'Farmer's Daughter' 3_

~ Harper is close to the kids of the group almost viewing them as her own, knowing that she'll never have the chance to have any… one of her biggest dreams was to have kids someday and raise them right

~Daryl finds him self strangely calm when hearing Harper's singing, even when battling walkers it relieves him of worries and guarantees for him 'hope and safety' (_Hint: This happens in the future_)


End file.
